An Open Secret
by CharmHazel
Summary: Harry and Ginny quickly reunite following the end of the war. However, due to the pain and grief of their losses, their own family fails to recognise the love shared and growing between the young couple.
1. Promises

**A/N: A brand new story for you!**

 **This story is based on sbmcneil's "Happy Birthday, Ginny!" which she has kindly let me use for the basis of this story. Thank you, sbmcneil!**

 **Thank you to Arnel, who has literally spent the last couple of days editing this story for me and for also being extremely encouraging and supportive of the new material I have covered for the first time.**

 **Yes, this is another post-battle story, but I really hope you love where I have taken the story. While I have concentrated of Harry and Ginny's relationship, I promise that this is building up to something big.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.**

* * *

Harry stood at the entrance to the Great Hall, watching the scene before him. In the hours since Voldemort had fallen, never to return, the bodies of those who had died in the battle had been removed and the house tables had been returned. The atmosphere was not as subdued as it perhaps could have been. Instead, a low chatter could be heard throughout of those consoling others, of those discussing aspects of the battle and of those celebrating the end of the war. However, one group of people stood out from the crowd. It was not because of the shared hair colour of many of the group, but it because of the lack of conversation among them. It was this group, this family, that Harry was currently watching.

The family, who Harry had come to love so much and who he was finally beginning to consider his own, had lost that spark, that happiness he admired about them. He was not surprised though, they had lost one of their own during the battle and it had hit them hard. And it was not just because they had lost someone from their large family, but also because they had lost one half of the twins. Harry knew, therefore, that life could never be the same and that it would take time for them to find their way out of their grief. It would be hard, but Harry knew that if any family could pull through, it would be the Weasleys.

Harry looked at each Weasley individually. Molly, he could see, was devastated at the loss of her son, Fred. He could see the tears streaming quietly down her face as he remembered the boggart at Grimmauld Place. Her biggest fear had been losing any member of her family and now it had come true. Arthur, on the other hand, seemed to remain stoic in his expressions as he comforted his wife, but Harry felt his eyes still gave away the grief he was feeling. Bill and Fleur sat quietly next to them, holding each other in comfort. Across from them, Ron and Hermione now sat, having walked in ahead of Harry when they had reached the hall. They appeared to be whispering furiously about something. It amused him that despite having finally expressed their feelings for each other, things had not and probably would not change between them. Next to Ron sat next to the last of the Weasley brothers. Percy and Charlie both had an arm wrapped around George, who in turn looked as if he had completely withdrawn into himself as a way to deal with the loss of his twin. Harry could not imagine how George was feeling. All he knew was that with the loss of Fred, George would never be the same again and Harry could only hope that one day he would learn to laugh again, even without his twin. That finally brought Harry to the final and youngest Weasley, Ginny.

Ginny sat quietly next to her mother. Her eyes were red and puffy from the tears she had shed from the loss of her brother. And yet, Harry still thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. For him, she truly was a sight for sore eyes. He stared at her, hoping she could feel his eyes beginning to bore into her. He desperately wanted her to turn and look at him, to give him some indication of how she felt for him now. He could understand if she was angry with him, but at the same time, he hoped that she was just relieved he had come through the war alive. All he knew was that he wanted her back, wanted to be with her. He was roused from his thoughts when he noticed that Ginny had turned her head to look at him. A small smile escaped his lips as he noticed the shy smile that she was giving him. As a result, he felt his heart skip a beat in relief.

For a minute, Harry and Ginny remained where they were, drinking in the sight of one another. Both were grateful and relieved that the other had survived the battle, despite the close calls they had both had during it. Without her family noticing, Ginny stood up and slowly began to walk towards the doors where Harry stood, never taking her eyes off him. In her head, she was thanking anyone and everyone who had allowed Harry to come back to her. As she reached him, Harry took her hand in his and pulled her into the Entrance Hall to allow them a little privacy for their first proper conversation in nearly a year.

They stood facing each other, green eyes meeting brown.

"Hi," Harry breathed out.

"Hi, to you, too," Ginny responded quietly.

They continued to stare at each other as Harry attempted to figure out what he wanted to say. He had so much he wanted to tell her, but he just didn't know where to begin. Ginny saved him that worry when she grabbed his face with both of her hands and pulled him down into a passionate kiss. Harry stood in shock for a second before he quickly came to his senses and wound his arms around her waist, pulling her body closer to his as he deepened the kiss. Eventually their need to breathe forced them apart, both gasping for air as they rested their foreheads together.

"Wow!" Harry said breathlessly.

"Yeah, wow!" Ginny replied.

"I'm in love with you, Gin," Harry quietly confessed.

"I'm in love with you, too, Harry."

Ginny pulled Harry back down and gave him a simple and gentle kiss. As they pulled back, wide smiles spread across both their faces, both in awe of their heartfelt declarations of love. Ginny moved out of their embrace, took Harry's hand and led him over to the staircase, where they then settled themselves on the bottom step.

Sitting close together, hands tightly clasped, Ginny looked up at Harry with a serious expression on her face.

"I need us to make a couple of promises to each other, Harry," Ginny began. "This past year, especially these past twenty-four hours have been incredibly difficult for me and I know they have been for you, too. But Merlin, I was so scared. I didn't know where you were or what you were doing. I hated not knowing, I hated being apart from you. I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too, Gin," Harry softly said. "Please don't ever doubt that I did."

"I could never doubt you," Ginny responded earnestly. "But I need to us to make these promises to each other if we are going to have that future together that I know we both want."

"Ok, then, what are these promises?"

"Firstly, I want us to be completely honest with each other. No more secrets preferably, though I know sometimes there will be things we will need to keep from each other."

"I can promise you that. I want to be open with you about everything, you deserve to know."

"And I promise to be open and honest with you, too."

As if to seal that first promise, Harry bent his head down and gave Ginny a long and lingering kiss.

"So what is the second promise you want us to make?" Harry asked as he pulled back.

"I was going to ask that you never leave me again, but I figured that it wouldn't make sense. I mean one of us might have to go away for whatever reason."

"I can understand that. But you know I don't plan on leaving you again, Gin. Not the way I did before."

"I know, but I understood why you needed to leave me," Ginny explained. "You came back to me, though. You came back and that is all that matters."

Harry smiled, understanding what it was she needed him to promise her.

"And I promise to always, always come back to you. Always."

Ginny smiled as she looked up at Harry, her eyes beginning to glisten with tears at his words.

"I promise to always come back to you, too, Harry."

Harry pulled Ginny into his lap and held her close. He moved his hands into her long, red hair and pulled her in for a kiss. Ginny deepened it as she tangled her hands into Harry's messy locks. For the couple, it was a kiss full of promises and one full of hope for their future. Eventually they parted, unable to contain the smiles on their faces.

"I suppose I should ask you if you want to be my girlfriend again, now we have made those promises," Harry suggested awkwardly.

"You could, but I would say no," Ginny answered with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Oh, you would, would you?" Harry replied as he raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Well, I didn't really consider us broken up," Ginny nervously confessed. "It was more that we needed to keep how we felt for one another a secret."

Harry laughed loudly.

"You are amazing," Harry laughed. "I told Viktor Krum at the wedding that you had a big, scary boyfriend. I guess after that kiss on my birthday, I didn't really think of us as broken up either."

"So my plan of giving you a kiss to remember me by worked?"

"Of course it worked. I spent so much time thinking about you this past year. Thinking of you got me through some really dark moments."

"I'm glad. Thinking of you helped me, too," Ginny said as she leant over to kiss Harry. "I think perhaps we should get back in the hall before my family begin to wonder where we are."

"Before we do, I need to talk to you about that," Harry paused to gather his thoughts. "Does your family even know we dated last year?"

Ginny shook her head.

"No, they don't," Ginny confessed. "Before you ask why, it was because I wanted time for us, just us. I didn't want my brothers bothering us, bothering you."

"I can understand that," Harry said sympathetically. "What about now, though? I mean I don't want to hide our relationship, but at the same time, I don't want us to advertise it."

"To be honest, I feel the same as you. I know you are going to have more press attention now and while I am willing to put up with it, our relationship should be for us to know about, not everyone else."

Harry smiled in awe at her understanding for his need for privacy.

"So my suggestion is that," Ginny continued, "we not actually announce it to my family or anyone else, but be honest with them if they do ask."

"I like it. Hopefully, your brothers won't feel the need to gang up on me that way then."

"You have just defeated Tom, the Darkest wizard of our time and you are scared of my brothers?" Ginny couldn't help but laugh at Harry's predicament.

"Can you blame me?" Harry said just before he pulled Ginny close enough to kiss her, effectively silencing her laughter.

A throat clearing behind them caused Harry and Ginny to pull apart and look up the staircase.

"Professor McGonagall," they both said in unison.

"Mr Potter, Miss Weasley," she said in acknowledgement. "It is good to see you back together again."

The young couple blushed. Professor McGonagall ignored their reaction.

"Mr Potter, if it is ok, Minister Shacklebolt would like to speak to you in the Headmaster's Office."

"Oh, ok, I'll go on up now."

"Thank you," she responded, before she swept past them in the direction of the Great Hall.

Harry pulled Ginny back into his embrace and nuzzled at her neck as he sighed.

"I'm sorry," he whispered apologetically.

"It's ok, Harry," Ginny said soothingly as she stood up. "I understand. I get that I am going to have to share your time with the rest of the Wizarding World for a while."

Harry stood as well, bringing Ginny back into his arms.

"If I had my way, my time would be all yours," Harry said honestly.

Ginny melted at his words. She loved this side of Harry. A side no one but her was allowed to see. He could be incredibly romantic when they were alone and it would always make her fall in love with him that little bit more.

"I know," she responded as she lovingly caressed his cheek. "I better go back to my family, then. I'll see you in a little bit."

"If you don't mind, I thought I would go to bed once I was done talking with Kingsley. I haven't really slept in forty-eight hours and I am unbelievably tired."

"That's ok. I am not surprised to be honest. I'm tired too."

Harry leant down and gently caressed Ginny's lips with his own.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Ginny whispered back.

They gazed into each other's eyes for a few seconds, before they reluctantly pulled apart and went, for the moment, their separate ways.


	2. Return to The Burrow

**A/N: Planning on posting daily, maybe more frequently as the story is edited and ready to be posted.**

 **Thank you for all the favourites, follows and reviews. Please feel free to continue to review.**

 **Thank you to Arnel for editing this story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.**

* * *

Twenty-four hours later, a few hours after Harry had finally woken up, the extended Weasley family was making preparations to return to The Burrow. Not long after the battle had ended, Kingsley had arranged for a team of trustworthy Aurors to check the home for traps and curses that may have been left by Death Eaters. Once confirmed as being cleared, Arthur, Bill and Fleur had gone ahead to reset the wards, which had been torn apart at Easter just after the family had escaped to go into hiding. Arthur had just sent word that the wards were now set and that it was safe for the family to return.

Specially made Portkeys had been set up for the Weasleys and a number of other families via the Ministry to help provide them safe passage home. It was around lunchtime when Mrs Weasley, Charlie, Percy, George, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry entered the ante-chamber just off the Great Hall, the same room which had been used the night the names of the Champions had been drawn from the Goblet of Fire. They were met by the interim Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, a couple of trusted Aurors and other officials from the Ministry.

"My sincerest condolences for your loss," Kingsley said as softly as he could in his deep voice, as he approached the family. "Bill has informed me that the wards are as safe and as strong as they can be without the need for the Fidelius Charm. However, if you feel you should need any more protection, please don't be afraid to ask."

"Thank you Minister," Mrs Weasley responded, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Please, call me Kingsley, Molly. We have known each other long enough," he replied as he took her hand in a comforting gesture.

"Sorry, of course, Kingsley," Mrs Weasley then hesitated, the question she wanted and needed to ask being on the tip of her tongue. "When…..when….."

The tears began to pour down her face once more, leaving her unable to continue speaking. Ginny and Hermione moved in to support and comfort her as Percy moved forward towards Kingsley.

"Umm…..I believe what my mother wished to ask was in regards to Fred's body," Percy spoke the words quickly and quietly.

Before Kingsley could respond, a loud sob escaped from George's lips, causing everyone to turn and look at him. For a few seconds, no one moved to help or comfort him. No one was sure what to do for the man who was heartbroken beyond belief at losing his best friend, his twin brother. Charlie and Ron moved in and held up George before he could collapse from the grief that consumed him.

Kingsley, realising it was not the time to discuss the issue that Percy had asked about, signalled to one of the Ministry workers to bring over the assigned Portkey.

"I will send the information to The Burrow within the next twenty-four hours," he replied, receiving a nod in acknowledgement from Percy. "The Portkey will take you to just outside the wards. Please make sure you move quickly inside for your own safety. We are still determining how many Death Eaters have managed to escape."

After they had all acknowledged Kingsley's words, a Ministry official handed over the Portkey to Percy and the rest of the family gathered around, placing one finger on the broken piece of wood being used to transport them home. Once everyone was in place, the Ministry worker tapped the Portkey and activated it. Within seconds, the entire extended Weasley family felt the familiar tug at their naval as they were pulled away from Hogwarts.

Harry landed with a thud as the Weasleys arrived just outside the wards of The Burrow. He quickly picked himself up, brushed off the dirt and dust from his clothes, before helping Ginny up from where she had landed.

They both froze as they stepped inside the wards and saw their first glimpse of The Burrow. The ramshackle home, that Harry had come to know and love, amazingly still stood. However, it was obvious even from a distance that it had been ransacked by Death Eaters at some point after the Weasleys had escaped and gone into hiding.

Ginny looked up at Harry, tears glistening in her eyes at the sight of her home having been damaged. Harry met Ginny's gaze with sympathy and understanding, squeezing her hand, which he still held, in comfort. As everyone began to walk towards the house, he gave her hand a gentle tug and they began to follow.

Just as they reached the house, Arthur and Bill came into view; they moved slowly around the property, while casting spells at it.

"What are they doing?" Harry quietly asked Ginny.

"Stabilising the structure of the house," Charlie answered having overheard the question. "As the family grew, so did the size of the house. Magic is what helps it stand. It stabilizes and strengthens the walls and floors."

Despite the structural integrity of The Burrow having been repaired, much of the interior had been severely damaged and would take time to repair. So for the time being, the Weasleys were reduced to living within magical tents, while the work to repair the rooms was completed.

Harry apologised repeatedly, wishing he could offer Grimmauld Place. But he had yet to check it and was uncertain whether the wards would provide safety against any fugitive Death Eaters.

The loss of Fred and the damage to their much beloved home affected everyone differently. Mrs Weasley and George, still both shaken up by Fred's death, immediately retreated to the tents and did not participate in helping with the repairs. Arthur felt torn between helping out at the Ministry and helping his wife and son to cope with their grief and the need to supervise the repairs. In the end, Bill and Fleur took over the role of their parents, keeping everyone in line, supervising where needed and generally running the household. However, they did retreat back to Shell Cottage every night, both needing the isolation the house gave them to help deal with their own grief.

Charlie began making arrangements for Fred's funeral, working closely with the Ministry to make sure it did not clash with the many others that also needed to be scheduled. Percy chose to help both Charlie and Bill with various things, while also returning to the Ministry to help with the much needed clear out and arrests of staff that were or sympathized with the Death Eaters. Ron and Hermione threw themselves to helping out after making arrangements to leave for Australia immediately after all the funerals had been held.

Simply put, everyone kept themselves distracted enough so they did not need to continually think about Fred. It was to the point that no one, not one person realised that Harry and Ginny, while working together on a variety of repairs and errands, were falling in love with each other all over again. Neither one of the young couple failed to recognise this and knew very quickly that they would be able to use it to their advantage.

In the days leading up to the funerals, Harry and Ginny chose to avoid the subject of the previous year for the time being. Instead, in the moments they were able to snatch together to be alone, they would sit quietly holding each other as they cried much needed tears of grief or just enjoyed the comfortable silences between them. If they did talk, for now it was just about mundane things of no importance.

It was a week later that the many funerals began. Harry wanted to and did attend every one of them, needing to pay his respects to each person who had willingly given their life so he could complete his task and defeat Voldemort. No one questioned it when Ginny made the decision to accompany Harry. Everyone was still caught up in their grief to notice the couple's closeness. Harry was grateful for that as he needed Ginny's support and comfort as the many funerals began to take their toll on him.

By the time of Fred's funeral, a significant amount of The Burrow had been repaired, allowing the Weasleys to move back in properly. It also meant they would be able to hold the funeral on the property and bury Fred in the garden as they had hoped.

Harry stayed close to Ginny throughout the day, ready to offer comfort when she needed it. It was something she readily accepted often as she struggled to cope with the emotions that the funeral brought with it. Again, no one seemed to question their relationship, all were too caught up with their grief to fully understand the couple's closeness was much more than they realised.

A few days later, after the final funerals had been held, when Harry found himself sitting outside late at night, that Ginny decided it was the right time to stop avoiding the inevitable conversation they needed to have.

"Hey, you," Ginny said, capturing Harry's attention as she sat down next to him. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just thinking," he replied honestly. "You know, about where we go from here. Not so easy to do in a house that is still so full of grief."

"It is stifling, isn't it?" Ginny said with an understanding of what he was trying to say. "Makes it harder to move on with your life if the people around you seem stuck."

They both sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes as they contemplated about what they had just said.

"What brought you out here?" Harry asked, breaking the silence between them.

"Can't a girl just come and spend some quality time with her boyfriend?" Ginny jokingly replied as she reached out and tenderly brushed Harry's fringe aside.

"Of course you can," Harry said as he pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to snuggle into him. "But I know you, Gin, there's something else."

Ginny knew she could no longer stall. It was now or never. She gathered her thoughts before looking up at Harry.

"I want us to start talking about the past year, just a little bit each day. But we did promise to be completely honest with each other and the only reason we have held back is because of the funerals."

Harry did not immediately respond. Instead, he brought his hand up and tucked a stray piece of Ginny's hair behind her ear as he contemplated what he wanted to say.

"I was actually thinking about that and the fact that we do need to talk," Harry eventually replied. "I want us to have the time and privacy we deserve to be able to do so."

"What are you saying, Harry?" Ginny asked confused at where he was going with this. It was not really hard to find the time and privacy they needed. The family had barely paid attention to them as individuals, let alone as a couple.

Bill and Fleur were now settled back into Shell Cottage. Charlie had gone back to Romania as soon as the funerals were over. Percy was barely there most days as he was helping the Ministry to get back on its feet. George was still holed up in his room and it didn't appear that he would be coming out any time soon. Ron and Hermione had left for Australia that morning and would be gone for at least a week or two. As for her parents, well…..they were lucky if they saw them. So therefore, Ginny was confused as to how they needed more time and privacy.

"What I mean is," Harry said, breaking into her thoughts. "Is that I am thinking of moving out."

Ginny stared at Harry in shock, not knowing how to respond.

"Why?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Because it is like you said," Harry explained calmly. "It is just too stifling here. The grief and the pain are too much. I am trying my best not to feel guilty for all the deaths, but….."

"It is NOT your fault, Harry!" Ginny interrupted.

"I know that, Gin," Harry sighed. "But being here watching your family fall apart makes me feel like it is. I need to be able to deal with my own feelings about the war and the deaths, but I cannot do that when there is a constant reminder right in front of me. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"

"I do now and I get it. I really do, but….." Ginny stopped talking, bit her lip and looked away from Harry.

Harry placed a hand on her cheek and gently brought her face back to look at him. It saddened him to see the tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"But what?" he gently encouraged.

"I…..I don't want to be left here by myself," Ginny quietly admitted. "I need to deal with my feelings as well and I want to work through it all with you. I want us to work through everything together."

Harry gave her a small smile.

"And we will. Just not in an atmosphere that is so stifling and constricting."

Ginny relaxed back into Harry's arms at these words, feeling more secure and safe than she had in a long time.

"You know that I am not moving out immediately, don't you?" Harry asked her. "I mean I don't even know what state Grimmauld Place is in. And even then, I would either need to refurbish a couple of rooms before moving there or find a new place to live."

"And I expect open invitation to wherever it is you choose to live," Ginny joked.

"Actually I expect you to be there as often as you can!"

Ginny looked up in shock.

"Really?"

"Yes, really!" Harry laughed. "I mean I don't think it would be a good idea for you to move in with me immediately, but I don't mind if you spend the night once in a while, once you turn seventeen."

Ginny frowned, not impressed with the conditions Harry had set.

"Hey, don't look at me like that," Harry said as he caressed her cheek with his hand. "I am not being like that to upset you. I would much rather you are with me all the time, but….."

"There is the little matter of my parents," Ginny interrupted. "And the fact that they would not be too impressed with me if they actually realised I had moved out to live with a boy who they don't even know I am dating."

"Exactly!"

Harry bent down, pulled her body closer and then kissed her passionately.

"Being that we have time and privacy right now," Harry said as he pulled away. "Do you want to make a start on exchanging stories from the past year?"

"We might as well. Where do you want to start?" Ginny agreed, shifting herself to get comfortable.

"Well, I think I should start with some background before we start on the past year or none of it will make sense."

Ginny nodded.

"It all began….."

For the next hour, they sat snuggled up outside as they began to tell each other what had happened over the past year, allowing their healing to begin.


	3. Making Changes

**A/N: I am feeling generous today, so here is the next chapter!**

 **Thank you all the follows, favourites and reviews. Please feel free to review.**

 **Thank you to Arnel for her absolute brilliance of picking up on my dreadful grammar!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.**

* * *

"Kreacher!" Harry called out early one morning, a few days after he had told Ginny he wanted to move out.

A large crack echoed throughout the room.

"Master Harry," Kreacher said as he bowed. "What can Kreacher do for Master Harry?"

Harry moved off the bed and kneeled in front of his house-elf.

"Firstly, I would like to apologise for not calling for you and speaking to you sooner," Harry said sincerely as he placed a hand on Kreacher's shoulder.

Kreacher's eyes widened at the apology, unused to such words being said to him.

"Secondly, I would like to thank you for all your help. I am very proud of you for giving us the information we needed that helped us bring down the Dark Lord as well as leading the house-elves into battle."

"Kreacher only did what was right. Kreacher did what he thought Master Harry would want him to do."

"You are a good and faithful house-elf," Harry said proudly. "But I do have a question for you. I was wondering what the condition of Grimmauld Place was, after we abandoned it last year."

Kreacher looked up at his master and smiled broadly.

"Kreacher was able to seal the house, Master Harry. Kreacher used his magic to seal it so no one could get in until Kreacher releases it," Kreacher proudly replied.

"Well done, Kreacher!" Harry said beaming. He turned his head towards the door and waved in Ginny as planned. "Kreacher, do you remember Ginny Weasley from her previous stay at Grimmauld Place?"

"Certainly, Master," Kreacher said as he bowed deeply to Ginny. "It is good to see Miss Weasley again."

Ginny shot Harry a surprised look, stunned at the changes in Kreacher. Despite being told the old house-elf's tale, she had still wanted to see him with her own eyes before she believed what she had been told.

"Ginny is my girlfriend and I would like it if you would do or help her in anything that she asks of you."

Kreacher did not immediately respond, but instead he seemed to avidly stare at both Harry and Ginny before coming to a conclusion.

"Kreacher will be happy to serve his future Mistress."

Harry and Ginny's jaws dropped in shock.

"Future Mistress?" Harry couldn't help but question. He knew it was not really a question in his mind. He knew he was in love with Ginny and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He was just shocked by the fact that Kreacher somehow knew.

"A house-elf has different magic," Kreacher answered. "We elves can see the bonds and connections between witches and wizards."

"So you can see a connection between Harry and me?" Ginny asked, having managed to push herself past the shock.

"Yes, Miss Ginny. The bond between my master and you is very strong. Much stronger than most."

Harry and Ginny turned and shyly smiled at each other at this discovery. It made Harry wonder how the Weasleys had yet to realise the true nature of their relationship, when a house-elf was immediately able to see it.

"Kreacher," Harry said, deciding to move back to the reason he called his loyal house-elf. "I am planning on moving into Grimmauld Place and wish to refurbish it and perhaps if possible, change the wards that surround the house."

"Kreacher can help. Kreacher would be proud to help restore the house to its former glory. Kreacher will remove his former mistress' portrait and have it destroyed, along the heads of the former house-elves."

Before Harry or Ginny could say another word, Kreacher Disapparated with a loud crack.

"He really has changed," Ginny said surprised at the old house-elf's behaviour. "Especially if he is going to willingly remove Mrs Black's portrait."

"Uh-huh," Harry replied distractedly as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and began planting soft kisses on her neck.

"Harry!" Ginny whined with no real feeling behind it as she tilted her head to the side to give him better access.

"I was more interested in what Kreacher had to say about us," Harry commented between kisses. "You're his future mistress, so you know what that means?"

Ginny turned in Harry's arms to face him to find a cheeky grin on his face.

"No, I've no idea," she said teasingly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head towards her till their noses were touching.

"Well, it means we will be getting married someday," he said before kissing her nose.

"I hope so," Ginny murmured against his lips before she captured them with hers.

 **HP &GW**

Harry and Ginny stood in the dark hallway of Grimmauld Place, staring at the blank wall where Mrs Black's portrait once resided. Neither had wanted to believe that Kreacher would be able to remove it until they saw it with their own eyes.

"Once the hall has been decorated, we are going to need to put another portrait up to fill this space."

Harry turned his head to look at Ginny. "Exactly what we would put up there? I don't have many photos."

Ginny smiled at his use of 'we' as her heart leapt in joy at being a partner in the choices made for the refurbishment.

"I have one that I think would look good, but you will have to wait and see," Ginny teased.

"I trust your judgement," Harry said, earning him a blazing smile from his girlfriend. "Anyway, I only want to get a handful of rooms done before I move in. The rest can be done one by one over the next few months."

Harry and Ginny had come over to Grimmauld Place to make a start on its refurbishment. It had only been two days since their conversation with Kreacher and the loyal house-elf had already removed the portrait, the tapestry, and the heads of the former house-elves and removed any objects with Dark magic. Kreacher had also already made changes to the wards, something they were planning to finish today with the help of Bill Weasley and Professor Flitwick.

"So what rooms are we doing?" Ginny asked eager to get started as they headed into the kitchen.

"The hall, kitchen, drawing room and at least one of the bathrooms and bedrooms," Harry replied as he pulled some spare parchment, ink and a quill from one of the kitchen's drawers. "I want fresh furniture and so on for each room, so we will need to make a list of what we will need."

While they waited on the arrival of Bill and Professor Flitwick, they began making lists of what they wanted to do with each room and what they would need to buy. Harry made sure to listen to Ginny's suggestions as he wanted her input, knowing that he wanted her to spend as much time here as she could and then hopefully move in when the time was right.

"Hello?" a voice called from the entrance hall. "Harry? Are you here?"

"In the kitchen, Bill!" Harry called back.

The moment Bill appeared, along with Professor Flitwick, Ginny shot out of her chair and threw herself into his arms.

"Good to see you, too, Ginny," Bill chuckled. "What are you doing here?"

"I said I would help Harry out," she responded as they all sat down at the table. "Not got anything better to do right now," she explained, shrugging her shoulders.

Bill eyed them suspiciously for a moment, not noticing Flitwick's amusement, before accepting their explanation.

"Mr Potter," Professor Flitwick spoke up, bringing the conversation to the reason they were here. "What are we looking to do today?"

"I want to reset the wards on the house," Harry explained. "I also want to learn how as well, just in case I want to change or modify them."

"Of course," Professor Flitwick replied. "Best to leave the house Unplottable and I'm guessing you wish to modify the Fidelius Charm as well."

Harry nodded in agreement.

"I don't think there is much I can add myself," Bill noted. "But I can add a ward that will alert to visitors, no matter which way they enter."

"Sounds good," Harry said, pleased with the suggestions, especially the ward to notifying when people arrived. That would help him avoid being surprised. "Is it possible to control who can enter the house via Floo or Apparition?"

"The Floo can be controlled by locations, rather than people, but the Fidelius will help control that anyway," Professor Flitwick answered. "But we can control those who can Apparate in and I'll show you how to modify the charm for when you want to add people to it."

"Brilliant," Harry grinned. "Can we get them all in place today?"

"No reason why we couldn't," Bill said as he rose from the table and headed out into the entrance hall to begin placing the wards.

The moment he was out of earshot, Professor Flitwick turned to the young couple.

"I'm guessing the family has yet to realise you two are a couple?"

They nodded sheepishly in response.

"Do not worry. Your secret is safe with me."

 **HP &GW**

A few hours later, the wards were finally set with Harry having learned how to set and modify them all. The lists for the furniture and materials needed for the refurbishment were written up as well, with much input from Ginny.

Bill and Professor Flitwick had just left, leaving the young couple by themselves once again.

"We still have plenty of time before we need to head back to The Burrow," Harry said once he had closed the front door. "Fancy a trip into Muggle London?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow before a mischievous smile spread across her face.

"Would you be asking me out on a date, Mr Potter?"

Harry pulled her into his arms and leaned down to kiss her, but stopping just before their lips met.

"Yes," he whispered before he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

Ginny lost all thought as Harry deepened the kiss, her hands creeping up his shoulders and into his hair. When it became essential for them to breathe, Harry pulled away to begin planting soft kisses down her neck.

"I'll be honoured for you take me out on a date," she whispered breathlessly. "If we are going to go though, we need not to get too carried away."

Just under an hour later, having walked to Kings Cross Station to take the tube on the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus, Harry and Ginny were walking through the heavy crowds along Oxford Street.

"Where are we going?" Ginny as she looked around in awe having never come to this part of London before.

"There's a department store just up here," Harry informed her pointing out a store called John Lewis. He had visited it once before as a small child when his Aunt Petunia had no choice but to bring him when there had been no one to watch him that day. "It sells a variety of things that we will need."

As they entered the store, Ginny went wide-eyed in shock and awe at just how big the store was before a sweeping realisation came over her.

"Harry?" Ginny whispered. "How are we going to pay for anything we buy?"

"When I went to Gringotts to talk to the Goblins a few days ago," Harry answered just as quietly. "I was able to sort my account out and they arranged a Muggle bank account for me, which came with a debit card."

Ginny looked at him confused.

"A debit card allows me to pay without the need to carry money around with me," Harry said in answer to her unasked question. "It's like paying with my key for a large purchase in Diagon Alley."

"That's clever," Ginny said in awe of how Muggles could live without magic.

"Shame that most wizards don't realise that," Harry said with a shake of his head. "Anyway, we need to go up for the department we want."

For the next hour or so, the couple slowly made their way through departments as they picked items they needed to make Grimmauld Place a home. Harry was glad that he had Ginny with him as she was helpful in picking different items out, especially in regards to the bedroom, whereas he, himself, felt more comfortable picking out what they would need for the kitchen.

"I just thought," Ginny said as they were picking up candles for everyday use. "Won't Ron want to move in come September?"

Harry paused what he was doing as he realised he had not thought about Ron when it came to their living arrangements. To be honest, he knew he wanted his house to be for him and Ginny only, therefore thoughts of asking Ron to live with him had not crossed his mind.

"I hadn't planned to invite him to live with me," Harry eventually responded. "As much as it may be nice to live with my best mate, I want a place for just me and once you are done with school, you."

"Really?" Ginny asked in surprise. They had not spoken about living together after she was done with school, only about having a place where they could be alone together with no interruptions.

"Yes, really!" Harry laughed. "Do you really think I would let you pick out so much stuff if I hadn't planned to ask you to do so?"

Ginny reached up and gently kissed him. "I would love to live with you after I leave Hogwarts."

"Good," he responded as they kissed each other once again. "Now let's get this all paid for and back to our house."

 **HP &GW**

In the two weeks since Harry had informed Ginny of his plan to move out, the young couple had accomplished quite a bit in regards to the refurbishment of the house. With none of the family in the right frame of mind, Ginny had been able to slip away with Harry every day to help him out. They had, amazingly, managed to completely overhaul the main bathroom, the kitchen and the master bedroom all in time for Harry's planned move. In amongst the decorating, they had even managed to go shopping in Muggle London for other furniture and even clothes.

They had also made the effort to use some of the time at Grimmauld Place to talk. So far they had covered the entire past year, but both had agreed that they wanted to share everything from their lives, whilst also beginning to talk about their future as a couple.

It was now the day before Harry's planned move and he was planning to tell the Weasleys about what was to come. They had toyed with the idea of admitting to their relationship, but decided against it due to their enjoyment of being left alone and the privacy it afforded them.

Amazingly, the night he planned to let the family know, everyone, except for Ron and Hermione who were still in Australia and Charlie who had returned to Romania, had shown up for dinner. It was the first time since Bill's wedding that the majority of the family had come together to eat a meal. While it remained quiet overall, the odd murmured conversation could be heard.

It was towards the end of dinner and with a nudge from Ginny that Harry cleared his throat and asked for everyone's attention.

"Erm…..I have something I wanted to say to you all," Harry nervously began. "I just wanted to say thank you for your hospitality, not only over the past month, but also over the last few years."

Harry took a deep breath before he broke the news to the grief-stricken family.

"I've decided to move into Grimmauld Place," Harry paused to let the news sink in before adding, "Tomorrow."

"Grimmauld Place?" Arthur asked, sounding confused.

Harry looked at the Weasley patriarch for a moment, wondering what he was confused about before he remembered he had reset the wards.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot. I reset all the wards," Harry explained. "I live at number twelve Grimmauld Place."

A flicker of understanding crossed the faces of all those who had been there before.

"Why, though?" Molly asked tearfully.

"I just need my own space," Harry replied. It was not the complete truth, but it was close enough. "I've started refurbishing it as well, so I thought it would be easier to live there and get as much done as I can before I start work at the Ministry."

Harry watched as Molly's face went through a series of expressions. He hoped he hadn't upset or offended her, but he knew he needed to do this for him and for Ginny.

"If you need any help with the refurbishment," Bill spoke, filling the awkward silence. "Then please feel free to ask me and Fleur."

"I will be happy to help out as well," Percy said, surprising Harry.

"Well, it's not like I can stop you," Molly confessed. "But just know that you are always welcome here."

"I know," Harry quietly replied. "Thank you."

 **HP &GW**

The next morning, Harry had packed up the last of his belongings and was ready to permanently move to Grimmauld Place. He was happy, if only slightly upset, that no one but Ginny was there to see him off.

"Is it my fault that your mum is confined to her room again?" Harry asked, slightly worried his news had upset Molly even more than she already was.

"I can't say," Ginny honestly replied as she wrapped her arms around him. She was also feeling slightly ashamed that she was able to see Harry off by herself.

"Tell her I will be over in a few days," Harry responded. "Oh, and tell Ron and Hermione that I will give them the address then."

"Well, you better go, then," Ginny said as Harry pulled her closer. "They are due home really soon and I don't think you will be want an argument with Ron about you moving out or our relationship if he comes home and sees us in this compromising position."

Harry pulled her into a passionate kiss, feeling grateful that no one had tried so far to interfere into their relationship.

"Ok, I'm going," Harry said as he pulled away and grabbed his backpack. "Before I do, I just wondered if you would let me take you out for dinner this week."

Ginny smiled. "I would love that. I think you owe me a few dates."

"I do and I have had a few ideas about that," Harry smiled before kissing her again, finding himself becoming lost in her.

"I really should go," Harry said as he reluctantly pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"I look forward to it," Ginny said as she watched him Apparate away.


	4. A Series of Dates

**A/N: Look at me, being all generous today with yet another chapter for you all!**

 **Notes shall continue down at the bottom of the chapter.**

 **Thank you to Arnel for her wonderful editing and wonderful comments on this chapter.**

 **To the person who chose to criticise my grammar and my beta, I laughed at the comments. Your review was also rejected.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.**

* * *

The Floo flared to life and outstepped Ginny straight into Harry's arms. No words were exchanged as they immediately sought out each other's lips, both looking to begin their date as they meant to go on, happy and in love. Neither wanted to pull away and only did so when the need to breathe became too great to ignore. As they pulled back, they remained wrapped in each other's arms, goofy grins on their faces.

"That was some hello, Harry," Ginny said breathlessly.

Harry did not respond. He just smiled as his eyes grazed over her, taking in what she had chosen to wear. She had chosen a simple green, ankle-length summer dress that clung to her in all the right places. Harry was not sure how he was going to keep his hands off her when she looked, in his opinion, so incredibly beautiful. He especially loved that she'd left her stunning red hair down, which had gentle waves running throughout. He couldn't wait to run his hands through it.

"Wow!" Harry eventually said, still feeling stunned by his girlfriend's beauty. "You look…you look…WOW!"

Ginny blushed. "Thank you Harry. You look pretty good, too."

On one of their many shopping trips they had taken before he had moved into Grimmauld Place had involved buying him an entire new wardrobe of clothes. Tonight he had chosen a pair of smart black shoes, black jeans and funnily enough, a green short-sleeved, button up shirt. It made Harry feel good knowing he was wearing clothes that actually fit and suited him, instead of wearing something that had belonged to Dudley. He didn't have to worry about embarrassing Ginny with what he wore when he took her out tonight.

"So what are we doing tonight?" Ginny asked, dragging Harry away from his thoughts.

"I thought you might like to go to the theatre," Harry said anxiously, not sure what Ginny would think of the idea. "I visited many of the theatres in the West End to see what was playing and found a show I think we both might enjoy, so I brought us tickets for tonight's performance."

Ginny could hear his nervousness in his voice. "Are you worried I won't like what you have planned?"

Harry ducked his head in embarrassment and whispered, "Yes."

Ginny carefully lifted his face so he was forced to look her in the eyes.

"I'm happy to do whatever it is you have planned, just as long as I am with you," she told him, hoping her words conveyed just how much she loved him.

"Most of the dates I have planned for us," Harry began to explain, wanting Ginny to understand his decisions. "They are things I have always wanted to do and experience, but was never able to."

Ginny held her tongue, refusing to allow herself to say anything bad about Harry's relatives, while wishing she could get away with hexing them for denying Harry so much as a child. She eased the thoughts away and put a smile on her face.

"I'm honoured, then, that I get to experience everything with you," Ginny said calmly, but not remotely feeling like it at that moment. "I've not spent much time in the Muggle world, so we can enjoy everything for the first time together."

"Exactly," Harry whispered as he pulled her into another passion-fuelled kiss.

"So, what are we going to see at the theatre?" Ginny asked once they pulled apart and had gained control of their raging hormones.

"Beauty and the Beast," Harry told her as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "It's a Muggle fairy tale. It's meant to be a really good show."

"When do we need to leave?" Ginny asked itching to leave for the theatre and excited for their date.

Harry checked the watch he had received from Molly and Arthur for his seventeenth birthday, nearly a year ago.

"Now would probably be a good time," he answered. "Gives us plenty of time to get there and find our seats. By the way, where does everyone think you are tonight?"

"I told my dad I was going to see one of my Muggleborn friends," she replied with a cheeky grin and a mischievous look on her face. "Figured it would be better to tell him I was going somewhere it would be difficult to contact me."

"Touché," Harry replied with a chuckle. "I really am amazed that none of the family has cottoned on to our relationship yet. I was certain Ron or at least Hermione would have done so by now."

"Ah, but they are too wrapped up in each other, just like we are, to actually notice," Ginny noted. "Though, had they not been at Hermione's parents' house tonight, perhaps they would have."

"Anyway, enough about your family," Harry said as he took Ginny's hand and began to lead her up to the front door. "Tonight is about us and I don't want anything to ruin it."

They arrived at the Dominion Theatre with twenty minutes to spare. Harry brought Ginny a programme and a fake red rose that was being sold at the merchandise stand and then ordered drinks for them to have during the interval, before taking their seats in the stalls. Throughout the show, Harry couldn't help but continually glance at Ginny. Her eyes were lit up in excitement at the magic and music of the show. He couldn't get over how willing she was to experience anything he chose to do for their dates. He felt incredibly lucky to have someone like Ginny fall in love with him. In a way, he felt he could relate to the Beast, the titular character, who had the kind and warm-hearted Belle fall in love with him, even if he felt he didn't deserve her love.

After the show, the young couple strolled down Charing Cross Road towards Leicester Square for a late dinner. Harry quietly listened with a smile as Ginny animatedly talked about her favourite parts of the show.

"Thank you for taking me, Harry," Ginny said as she pulled him to the side to avoid other pedestrians. "I had a really amazing time at the theatre."

Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, moving her hands into his messy locks, and pulled his head down for a heated kiss. Harry immediately responded to his girlfriend's advances by wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her closer to his body, before deepening the kiss. Neither cared that they were kissing passionately in public, all they cared about in that moment was each other and the love they felt for the other.

"Wow!" Harry said panting as they pulled apart. "That was some kiss."

"I know," Ginny replied, still catching her breath from the intensity of it.

"I love you so much, Ginny."

"I love you, too, Harry."

 **HP &GW**

A week later, Ginny Flooed into Grimmauld Place just as Harry was eating breakfast. He smiled as she came over and gave him a soft kiss hello.

"So what exactly do you have planned for us today?" Ginny asked as she sat down next to Harry, placing her bag on the table.

"I'll tell you once you tell me what story you fed your family before you left," Harry said with a smirk, before stealing another kiss from her.

"Basically, you want to know if anyone has figured it out yet?" Ginny replied with her own smirk. "Well, they haven't. I told them I was going to the beach with some friends. My mother, who actually came down and made breakfast this morning, just told me to apply sun cream and have fun."

"Good thing we are going to the beach, then," Harry responded, happy still not to have any interference into his relationship with Ginny. "Not that I plan for us to spend the whole day on the beach itself."

"I'm intrigued, Mr Potter," she said teasingly. "Just what is the plan for today?"

"Well, I thought," Harry said as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, "that we could get the Muggle train to Brighton, spend some time on the beach and the pier and maybe we could visit the aquarium that is located there."

Ginny's eyes lit up in excitement at Harry's plan for the day, eagerness written all over her face. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

"When do we leave?" she asked as she pulled away from Harry, making to get up, overly eager to get going.

Harry chuckled at her excitement. "I guess now is as good a time as any."

An hour later, the two teens were sitting comfortably together watching as the buildings gave way to the countryside as their train travelled towards Brighton. Within another hour, they were disembarking the train, having arrived at their destination. They took a leisurely stroll, following the crowds out of the station and down the hill towards the coastline.

Neither had been to a seaside town like Brighton before and both were in awe of what they discovered: a long pebble beach that stretched for a couple of miles, maybe more; a pier that stood high above the sea, while the tide gently lapped at the shore as the sun shone brightly overhead.

"Harry, did you bring a camera?" Ginny asked as they headed towards where the aquarium was located.

Harry pulled a camera out of his pocket and showed her. "Yes, and I have spare rolls of film with me, too. Kreacher said he would show me how to develop them so they move as well."

They spent the next hour or two exploring the aquarium. For both Harry and Ginny, it was the chance to not only enjoy another part of the Muggle world they had yet to experience, but also a chance to act their age and spend time together as a couple.

Ginny was entranced by all the different variety of fish held at the aquarium. She loved that she was able to place her hand in a tank to touch the starfish held there. Harry made certain to get a photo of such a simple pleasure. Both loved the sea turtles and they even stayed for one of the talks in the auditorium. They ended their visit in the gift shop, making sure to buy a couple of gifts for Teddy as well.

"I think we should bring Teddy here," Ginny suggested as they exited the aquarium out onto the beach. "Obviously, once he is old enough to appreciate it."

"So basically in a few years, then," Harry said with a chuckle. "Come on, let's go and get some lunch on the pier."

After a delicious fish and chip lunch on the pier, they spent some time enjoying the fun fair, which was located at the very end of the pier, before exploring The Lanes and the antiques shops situated along them. It was late afternoon when the young couple, laden with many bags of purchases they had made for the house, Apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

 **HP &GW**

"I forgot to ask before we left," Harry said as he and Ginny strolled hand in hand along The Royal Mile in Edinburgh. "What excuse did you use today?"

"I told them I was going to go and study with friends for the upcoming exams," Ginny answered. "Hermione seemed sceptical of my excuse though."

"I suspect she just thought that you would want to review sixth year material with her," Harry suggested. "You know full well she will be on your case about homework once you both return to Hogwarts."

"Fantastic!" Ginny sarcastically replied. "You and Ron choose not to go back and I'm the one who gets stuck with a homework-obsessed Hermione!"

"She's really not that bad, Gin," Harry protested weakly.

Ginny glared at him.

"Ok, ok," Harry quickly said holding his hands up in surrender. "Maybe she can go a little over the top, but she can be really helpful. Anyway, enough about her, today's about us."

"I love this time we have together," Ginny said with a sigh. "There is no need to worry about the family interrupting us or the press following you. I'm actually glad right now that my family have not figured out that we are in a relationship. Even with the excuses I make so I can come and see you, it just seems to make things easier for us."

"I know what you mean," Harry replied as he let go of her hand and instead wrapped his arm around her waist. "It's bad enough when everyone wants a piece of me when I go in to Diagon Alley. It's nice to be able to do things with you without any interference."

"Exactly where is it we are going, Harry?" Ginny asked as the path began to steepen.

"Just at the top of the road is Edinburgh Castle," Harry answered, pointing out where they were heading. "Supposedly, it is one of the most haunted places in Scotland."

"Oooh, we can have a ghost hunt!" Ginny cried in excitement. "Do you think if we found one and took a photo that it would show up?"

"It might. I mean, there are photos out there that have captured ghosts in the images," Harry mused. "Let's go find out!"

The two teens spent the next few hours exploring the castle and enjoying the stunning views of the city. It was not until they began exploring the dungeons and the lower levels of the castle that they discovered the sheer number of ghosts that resided there. Some were friendly, others were not, but it was the faint music of bagpipes that really caught their attention.

"Where is that music coming from?" Ginny quietly asked, knowing they were the only ones who could truly hear it.

Harry stood still as he carefully listened for where the music was coming from. It felt like the music was all around them, but eventually he realised that it was coming from down a dark corridor that no tourists appeared to want to approach.

"Down there," Harry quietly told Ginny as he pointed in the direction of the corridor.

The young couple discreetly moved into the darken corridor with Harry quickly throwing up a Muggle-Repelling Charm as a precaution. They walked slowly towards the source of the music, which grew louder the nearer they approached. Eventually, they came to a small opening in the corridor and found the source, a traditionally dressed Scottish Piper.

"I wonder how long he has been here, just playing," Ginny whispered, as she looked on in awe.

"Do you think he was playing his bagpipes when he died?" Harry asked in reply. "You know, a bit like Professor Binns, he just keeps doing what he knows best."

Ginny stifled a giggle. "At least this ghost is actually good at what he does!"

Harry felt the need to laugh and not wanting to disturb the bagpipe playing ghost, pulled Ginny back down the corridor.

 **HP &GW**

A little while later, after exploring the streets of the city, Harry and Ginny were sat in a Muggle café, named The Elephant House. As they sat eating their sandwiches they had ordered for lunch, Ginny had a thought as she realised it was now mid-July.

"What do you want to do for your birthday?" Ginny suddenly asked, causing Harry to still in shock.

"It's nearly my birthday?" Harry replied, honestly not realising that it was fast approaching.

Ginny smiled. "Harry, it's a couple of weeks away, so I need to know what you want to do."

Harry wasn't sure what he wanted to do, he hadn't thought about it, considering he had, at times, thought he would not make it to his eighteenth. With everything that had happened and with the way the Weasleys had been struggling to cope with the loss of Fred, he didn't think anyone would actually remember it. Except Ginny, of course, she would remember, especially with the amount of time they had spent together.

"Harry?"

Ginny's voice penetrated his thoughts, causing him to focus his eyes back on her.

"Sorry. I was just thinking," he sheepishly admitted. "I'm not sure what I want to do. I just don't want too much fuss. To be honest, is anyone but you going to remember?"

"How about this, then?" Ginny said as an idea came to mind. "We can have a simple dinner with the family, if my mum remembers. But no matter what, you and I can spend the day together, even if it is just at Grimmauld Place. Perhaps we could invite Andi and Teddy over for the afternoon."

"Sounds like an idea," Harry responded, genuinely liking the suggestion. "What about you? What do you want to do for your birthday?"

"Probably the same as you, though I will be annoyed if my coming of age is forgotten," Ginny admitted. "I mean I know how painful it is with Fred having died. He was my brother too!"

Harry reached over and grabbed her hand, seeing that she was getting irate about her family's reaction to Fred's death.

"But it's like they have forgotten how to live!" Ginny continued, her rant beginning to pick up steam. "I know they all get up and go to work, well, except for George, but when they are at home, it's like life has stopped. They haven't even picked up on our relationship! How, then, can I expect them to remember my birthday?"

"Hey, don't cry," Harry said softly as a tear escaped Ginny's misted eyes. "I already have something planned for the day after your birthday, so no matter what happens, I promise that I will make your coming of age special, even if it is just you and me."

"Sorry, I'm ruining our day together," Ginny said as she dried her eyes. "I'm just so sick of the grief now."

"I am, too, but as I have learnt, we all deal with it differently and I know you know that," Harry said in response. "It's not like neither of us is not still grieving, it's just we try to have happy days, too. We are remembering to live. So let's continue doing that!"

Ginny smiled at Harry's insightfulness. "You're right, I'm sorry. So where to now?"

 **HP &GW**

Ginny quietly slipped out of the house and quickly moved towards the ward boundaries to begin her walk towards Stoatshead Hill. She had left a note for her parents stating she was going to her friend's house for one final day of revision ahead of her sixth year exams that were scheduled for the following week. She was actually on her way to meet Harry at Stoatshead Hill to take a Portkey on a surprise trip he had planned for her.

It was around half eight in the morning when the young witch arrived at her destination to find her boyfriend already there waiting for her.

"Morning, beautiful," Harry cheerily greeted her as he took her in his arms and sweetly kissed her hello.

"Morning to you, too," Ginny smiled. "So are you going to tell me where we are going that we need a Portkey to get there?"

"Well, I had planned to leave this trip for your birthday," Harry said, evading the question. "But with your exams next week, I figured you deserved something special. That's not to say we can't go again for your birthday. I mean if you enjoy today, we'll go as often as we can if you want to."

"HARRY!" Ginny shouted in frustration. "Baby, as much as I love it when you tease me, could you please stop tip-toeing around my question?"

Harry could only smirk at his girlfriend's reaction. He tightened his grip on her waist, before presenting a comb that was to be their Portkey for the day.

"Put a finger on the comb," Harry instructed her.

Ginny did as she was asked before looking up at Harry with curiosity.

"When I say where we are going, it will activate the Portkey," he said in explanation to her unasked question. "Ready?"

She simply nodded.

"Paris."

Just as the Portkey pulled them away from Stoatshead Hill, Harry smiled as he heard Ginny's gasp of surprise.

* * *

 **A/N: So a few more details for you in regards to their dates.**

 **Date 1: Beauty and the Beast played at the Dominion Theatre from May 1997 to December 1999. It is located a few minutes by foot from Charing Cross Road, where The Leaky Cauldron would situated.**

 **Date 2: The Brighton Aquarium is actually owned by Merlin Entertainment, as part of their chain of Sea-Life Centres. This was not mentioned as I do not have a date for when they took over the aquarium, which opened back in 1872.**

 **Date 3: Edinburgh is said to be one of the most haunted cities in the world. The Bagpiper ghost is actually part of a legend that tells of a piper that walked down a new discovered tunnel under the city while playing the Bagpipes. The locals followed the music above ground. However, the music stopped and the piper was never seen again.**

 **Date 3: The Elephant House is known by Harry Potter fans as the café in which Jo began writing the books. It is located not far from Edinburgh Castle.**


	5. Forgotten Birthday

**A/N: And here is the chapter that is one of the reasons for the high rating. I shall leave your dirty little minds, however, to figure out what the young couple get up to together!**

 **Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows. Please feel free to review.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.**

* * *

Harry was beginning to stir from his sleep as he felt the bed dip slightly and a small, warm body move up behind him. He didn't need to turn over to see who it was, he already knew. He smiled as he felt the warmth of her breath tickle his ear and a sweet voice whisper,

"Good morning, birthday boy."

Harry turned over and pulled Ginny into his arms, enjoying the feel of her silky, smooth skin against his own.

"Morning, beautiful," he whispered as he began running a hand up and down her bare back and kissed her hello.

This was not the first time Ginny had slipped into his bed and awoken him like this. It was becoming more and more frequent as they began to feel comfortable with being nude in front of one another. In the month and a half since he had moved into Grimmauld Place, their physical relationship had progressed rapidly and while they had yet to take the final step, they were thoroughly enjoying this newfound side of their relationship as they explored each other's bodies and learnt what the other liked.

Harry flipped Ginny over onto her back, himself rolling in between her legs, and proceeded to plant soft kisses down her neck and along her collarbone. He knew she was enjoying the attention, all thanks to the content purring noises she was making.

"Harry!" Ginny suddenly squealed as he began to kiss further down her body. "It's your birthday, not mine. The attention should be on you!"

Harry lifted his head to see a seductive smile on his girlfriend's face. He knew he would prefer to spend his time making Ginny feel good and feeling loved, but he also knew he would always give into her. He was unable to say no to her.

"Fine," he jokingly huffed as he rolled them over so it left him on his back with the red-head straddling him. "But after, I get to lavish as much attention on you as I want to!"

"Fine by me," she said, before she proceeded to slowly kiss her way down his body until she did something she had never done before.

"Ginny!" Harry gasped in surprise as she took him into her mouth completely.

The sensations she was creating within him as she teased and pleasured him with her lips and tongue were unreal and more intense than he had ever felt from their other activities.

This was definitely the best birthday ever.

 **HP &GW**

"That was an amazing way to start my birthday," Harry commented around an hour later.

The young couple were now curled around each other, relaxing, having spent a good part of an hour lavishing attention on each other's bodies.

"I hope to receive the same on my birthday," Ginny replied as she slowly stroked Harry's chest.

"Because that would go down so well with your parents and brothers when they discover me ravishing their youngest child and only daughter, especially when they have no idea that we are even dating!" Harry jokingly protested.

Ginny rolled herself on top of Harry and rested her chin on her hands which were now folded on his chest. She looked him directly in his bright green eyes, a mischievous look on her face.

"Well, then, I'll just have to find the time to sneak over here, so I can have my wicked way with you!"

"Or…" Harry began, leaving his girlfriend waiting as he pretended to think of an idea, despite having already begun planning her birthday surprise.

"Or what, Harry?" the red headed witch cried in frustration.

"Or you could be a good little witch and wait patiently until the day after your birthday," he responded with a knowing look on his face.

Ginny shifted herself so she was situated further up her boyfriend's body and could begin planting soft kisses all over his face.

"And why, Mr Potter, would I want to wait until then?" she purred seductively.

Harry began to squirm beneath her, knowing full well he needed to be strong and not give into her teasing. But it was not so easy to do when his girlfriend's beautiful, naked body was pressed so intimately against his.

"You'll just have to wait and see," he managed to say. "All you need to know is that whatever happens, we'll be spending the night together, either here or where I'm taking you for the day."

Ginny pouted for a second before rolling off Harry and out of bed. She could feel her boyfriend's eyes on her body as she began dressing. She shyly looked over her shoulder to see him staring with a look of awe on his face, which made her grin. It made her feel beautiful, which in turn made her feel more comfortable with her body.

"Stop staring," she called over to Harry as she began pulling her jeans on. "Get in the shower, get dressed and then come down for brunch. Teddy and Andromeda are coming over later."

It was Harry's turn to pout at the request. However, he knew she was right. As much as he wanted to stay in bed with her all day, they would have needed to get up eventually for when his godson came over to visit. Doing as requested, he rolled out of bed and headed for the ensuite bathroom that was connected to his bedroom. Ginny's eyes were on him until he was out of sight.

 **HP &GW**

Half an hour later, having showered and dressed, Harry walked into the kitchen to find Ginny reading the Daily Prophet as Kreacher laid out a range of foods for brunch on the table. He dropped a kiss on his girlfriend's head as he took the seat next to her.

"Anything interesting in there today?" he asked having spotted the large photo of himself on the front page as he walked over.

"Just some unimportant idiot from the Ministry and the fact it is his birthday today," Ginny said nonchalantly.

"Really?" Harry responded in amusement as he began loading up his plate with a selection of food.

"Yeah, not sure how he made the front page though. He's not anything special to look at," Ginny replied as she folded up the paper and put it down so she could turn her attention to Harry. "Anyway, your birthday is far more important."

"Well, I am glad you think so," he replied as he leant over to give her kiss. "So what is the plan for the day? And what is happening with your family?"

"Well, no one knows I am here if that's what you mean," Ginny answered with a knowing look. "In all honesty, though, I'm not sure if any of them have realised the date. I mean I wasn't told to be home by a certain time. But then again, no one seems to really notice or care what I get up to at the moment."

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered as he reached over to give her hand a squeeze.

"It's not your fault, Harry," she responded with a sad smile. "Mum and George are both still struggling with losing Fred. Dad is attempting to be there for them, while working long hours at the Ministry. Bill and Fleur are back at Shell Cottage, Charlie is in Romania and even Percy moved back to his flat in London. Ron is barely there as it is either. He is either working or over at Hermione's. To be honest, I am angrier at your two best friends for forgetting."

"I know what we can do," Harry said as an idea came to mind suddenly. "Neville's birthday was yesterday. Let's invite him and a few other friends to the Leaky Cauldron for some drinks. We might not be able to be there as a couple if Ron and Hermione turn up and especially if the press gets wind of us all being there. But I think it would be worth it to see our friends and celebrate."

Ginny quickly agreed to the idea, not caring if they had to hide their relationship for one evening, especially not after the activities they had engaged in that morning. Between them, they came up with a list of people to invite before Harry sent off a few Patronuses inviting them.

"Right, now we have done that, I think I should give you your present," Ginny decided as she stood up to go and take his present out of her bag. "By the way, Kreacher has put all of the post in the drawing room. It would seem that you are Mr Popular today."

Ginny handed over her present, which Harry carefully unwrapped to find two framed photos. One was of him and Ginny and the other was of him and his parents.

"Colin gave that to me just before Dumbledore's funeral," Ginny explained as she pointed to the photo of Harry and Ginny's first kiss in the Gryffindor common room. "The other one I found when we were going through the photos from your vault."

"Thank you," Harry said before giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. "I'll put these up in my bedroom later."

"Why not now?" Ginny said with a smirk as she moved closer to her boyfriend and ran a hand up his arm.

"You know why!" Harry protested. "If we go up there, TOGETHER, you know full well what will happen. And as much as I would love to spend the day in bed with you doing unspeakable things, Teddy and Andromeda are coming over."

Ginny pouted once again, her eyes filled with amusement, before shrugging. "Well, it was worth a try!"

 **HP &GW**

"Happy Birthday, Harry!"

"Thanks, Andi," Harry responded as he gave her a kiss on the cheek and plucked his godson out of her arms.

However, Teddy had barely been in his godfather's arms for more than a few seconds before Ginny swooped in and taken him into her arms and began raining soft kisses all over his face.

"Wow!" Harry chuckled in amusement. "Barely through the door and I've already been forgotten about by my godson and on my birthday no less!"

Andromeda laughed as Ginny looked at Harry in mock disgust. "Come on, Teddy, let's go and see what toys Uncle Harry has set up for you."

Harry and Andromeda followed them into the drawing room, where Harry had set up a play mat and a few age appropriate toys for his godson that the young couple had brought just a few days ago.

Harry paused in the doorway and watched as his girlfriend settled on the play mat with Teddy and began showing him the toys. His heart skipped a beat as he thought that perhaps in a few years that she would instead be his wife who was playing their child. He could only hope that the Weasleys would not remain ignorant of their relationship for that long.

"She is so good with Teddy," a voice said from behind him pulling him from his thoughts and his gaze from the scene before him.

"Yeah, she is," Harry replied dreamily.

"Having watched you two these past couple of months with Teddy, I can tell that you will be great parents," Andromeda said with a knowing look.

Harry blushed and mumbled a thank you to her.

They moved into the drawing room and took seats. Andromeda then passed over Harry's birthday present to him. He had been given two more framed photos, both of Teddy, with each of his godparents.

"These are fantastic," Harry exclaimed. "They'll go well with the photos Ginny gave me. I'll put them all up in my bedroom later. Thank you."

Andromeda's curiosity was piqued by the comment. "What do you mean in your bedroom?"

Harry and Ginny quickly shared a glance between them.

"My family still don't know that we're in a relationship," Ginny explained. "They know that we're good friends and that we are both Teddy's godparents, but they haven't exactly cottoned on to the fact we are together."

"But everyone else knows?" she asked in clarification. "I mean, I can clearly see that you are together, even if you don't advertise it clearly."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, we have not been exactly forthcoming about it, but we've not hidden it either. It's just that everyone else has not made a big deal about it."

"Don't get me wrong," Ginny said taking over from Harry. "I want my family to know, but this time we've had together without interference has been good for us and I think we are both reluctant to give that up right now."

"Hence why the photos need to go upstairs," Andromeda concluded. "I can understand the need for you to keep your relationship for yourselves. I promise not to anyone who doesn't already know."

"Thanks, Andi," Harry replied as he slipped out of his chair and onto the floor so he could begin tickling his godson.

 **HP &GW**

Harry stood outside The Leaky Cauldron, frozen to the spot and staring at the entrance. Despite knowing that many of his friends would be inside to help celebrate his birthday, his anxieties about being recognised while visiting a wizarding establishment were beginning to overwhelm him. It was one of the many reasons he and Ginny had spent much of their time together either at Grimmauld Place or within the Muggle world.

He was starting to wish he had chosen a Muggle establishment instead and that he hadn't invited Ron and Hermione. He needed Ginny's love and support right now if he was to make it through this night, but it was not option.

It was time to use his Gryffindor courage. Taking a deep breath and clearing all negative thoughts from his head, Harry pushed the door open and slipped inside.

 **HP &GW**

"HARRY!"

The wizard in question turned his head from the conversation he was having with Dean and Seamus to the direction from where he had heard his name. He immediately saw his two best friends pushing through the crowds.

"Happy Birthday, Harry!" Hermione cried as she threw her arms around him.

"Thanks, Hermione," he replied as he pulled back and turned to his other his best friend.

"Happy Birthday, mate," Ron said, pulling Harry into a manly hug.

As Harry pulled back, he grimaced in pain as Hermione punched his shoulder.

"Where have you been these past few weeks?" Hermione asked in apparent anger. "No one has really seen you and suddenly today you send a Patronus inviting people to celebrate your birthday!"

Harry's jaw dropped in disbelief. He knew he'd hardly seen the Weasleys, but no one had been really making the effort to see each other. Ginny was still the only one from the family who had been over since he'd informed them of his move. So how could they blame him when he had extended an open invitation to them to come over whenever they wanted?

"No one has really seen you two either," he finally responded as he did his best to keep the anger he was feeling at bay. "Anyway, I've been busy."

Ron recognising the potential for an argument between the two and not wanting to be caught up in one, he quickly changed the subject. "So what did you get up to today?"

"Teddy and Andromeda came over to see me," Harry automatically answered, knowing that Ron would not appreciate it if he ever found out just what Harry did that morning and with whom.

"Did Ginny pop over to see him as well?" Ron asked knowing his baby sister was Teddy's godmother.

Harry chuckled. "She did, which meant I was lucky when I got to actually hold him."

"No surprise there, then," Ron responded with a chuckle before taking on a serious expression. "Look, I'm sorry we haven't been over to see you. We've been spending most of our time with Hermione's parents."

"Don't worry about it," Harry said waving off best mate's apology. "Like I said, I've been busy."

"Doing what exactly?" Hermione asked with a stern look in her eyes.

Harry sighed. All he wanted was to celebrate his birthday and have a good time with his friends. He didn't want to be questioned about his life, but he knew the older witch wouldn't leave the topic alone until he had answered her.

"I have spent the majority of my time decorating Grimmauld Place," he eventually answered. "Even with magic, it's a slow-going process, but that's fine with me as it means me and Kreacher won't miss anything Dark that hasn't been found yet and needs removing."

"Probably the best idea, mate," Ron said with a shiver as he remembered some of the Dark objects they had discovered when cleaning the house the summer before their fifth year.

"I'm surprised that you didn't ask Ron to move in with you," Hermione said with a tone of accusation. "I mean, you are both starting Auror training in September."

The wizards quickly looked at each other, having had this discussion privately after Ron had returned from Australia.

"It's fine, Hermione," Ron replied soothingly drawing his girlfriend into his arms. "After the year we've had, I would like to remain at The Burrow for now, around the family."

"And I'm fine living by myself," Harry continued, thinking of how much easier it was to spend time with Ginny there as a result. "I like the peace and quiet it gives me. It's what I need right now."

Hermione looked at Harry for a moment like she was trying to solve a mystery, as though she knew he was hiding something from her. The look, though, was gone after a couple of seconds.

"I get it, I do," she finally conceded. "It's like the fact I need to be with my parents right now after sending them away in the way that I did."

 **HP &GW**

Checking to see that Ginny was occupied, Harry made his way across the room to speak to his fellow birthday boy.

"Hey, Neville," Harry said as he reached his friend.

"Hey, Harry," Neville responded. "Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks. You too for yesterday," Harry replied before quickly checking certain people were not close enough to overhear. "I actually wanted to speak to you about this past year."

Neville raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Is this about Ginny? Because if it is, I have to say it was her who kept us going. Her faith in you helped boost our confidence and raised our spirits. I dread to think what would have happened had she not been at school."

Harry smiled, proud of his girlfriend and all that she had accomplished against the Carrows. "You know, she said it was you and not her that kept everyone going. Even so, I wanted to thank you for being there for her."

"I take it she told you everything, then?" Neville asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, she did, which is why I wanted to thank you. I know it was hard for her to be away from me. Trust me; I struggled just as much as she did. I'm just grateful she had someone to talk to when she needed to. So, thank you."

Neville blushed, despite no longer being the shy and nervous boy he had been when he first started Hogwarts. His face then took on a serious look as he spotted Ron and Hermione from across the room.

"You and Ginny are back together, aren't you?" he asked in concern for the young couple who had not spent much time together at the party.

"Yeah, we are," Harry said smiling, still picking up on his friend's worry. "Her family, including Ron and Hermione, have not realised that we are in relationship yet."

"Hermione hasn't noticed?" Neville said in amusement. "I'm happy you and Ginny are back together. You two belong together."

"Thanks, Nev," Harry said, touched by his friend's words.

The two Gryffindors continued to talk for a few minutes, including having a small discussion on what they could expect when they started Auror training before Harry continued to make the rounds at the pub in an attempt to speak to everyone who had chosen to come help celebrate his birthday.

 **HP &GW**

As midnight rapidly approached and his friends began to dwindle in numbers, Harry began making his goodbyes. Noticing Ron and Hermione had already left, without saying goodbye themselves, he approached his girlfriend.

"Meet me outside a few minutes after I leave," he whispered in her ear as he hugged her on the pretence of them saying goodbye.

She simply nodded as they pulled apart before Harry finished his goodbyes and slipped out of the Leaky Cauldron to wait in a nearby alley they used to Apparate safely out of the sight of Muggles.

He only had to wait a few minutes before he spotted his girlfriend turning into the alley. The moment Ginny spotted him she ran to him and threw herself into his arms. Once secure in his arms, Harry Apparated them directly to his bedroom at Grimmauld Place.

"I know you need to get home," Harry said as he began undressing Ginny. "But not being able to hold you or kiss you all evening has just made me want you desperately."

Harry quickly divested his girlfriend of all of her clothes and laid her gently on his bed. He looked over her beautiful, nude body, still not believing that this beautiful creature was his.

"You are so unbelievably beautiful," he said reverently, causing her to blush slightly at the compliment. He leaned over her body, still fully dressed himself, and began to pleasure her with kisses. He slowly worked his way down her body, worshipping it as he moved towards his intended target. He was determined to give her the same pleasure she'd given him that morning.

Ginny couldn't describe the feelings and sensations that Harry was managing to stir in her. Instead, she just gave herself over completely to the pleasure coursing through her body, especially when Harry reached his intended destination.

It was not until an hour later when Ginny, after having repeated her own performance for Harry from that morning, finally kissed Harry goodnight and took the Floo home to The Burrow.


	6. Becoming a Woman

**A/N: Another chapter for you and one I believe people have been waiting for. I think the title of the chapter implies what is going to happen now! So enjoy!**

 **Thank you for the reviews, favourites and follows. Please feel free to review.**

 **Thanks to Arnel for her brilliant editing.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.**

* * *

Ginny's face dropped in disappointment as she entered the kitchen to find no one was there. She had thought and hoped that at least someone, any member of her family, would have been there to greet her on her birthday. Her seventeenth, her coming of age no less.

She knew her mum was still struggling with the loss of Fred, but some days she had managed to come downstairs and be the person she knew her mother to be. Even with her grief, Ginny thought her mother would remember her birthday and make the effort to fuss over her. The only explanation, in Ginny's opinion, was that her mum had lost track of the days and was no longer certain of what date it was.

She was beginning to think that she would have been better off staying at Harry's last night. He had not forgotten her birthday. He had been planning for it for weeks, even if he had decided to celebrate it a day late, just so she could spend it with her family.

She turned back out of the kitchen and headed for the Floo, thinking it would just be better to spend the entire day at Grimmauld Place with Harry. However, before she could do so, the Floo flared green as her eldest brother stepped out.

"Bill!" Ginny cried in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a guy come and see his baby sister on her birthday?" he asked as he swept her into a hug and pressed a kiss to her hair. "Happy Birthday, Ginny!"

"Thanks," she said glumly as she pulled out of her brother's embrace.

It didn't take Bill more than a few seconds to figure out the connection between his sister's response and the quietness of the house. "Mum's not come down, has she?"

Ginny shook her head, desperately trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Damnit!" Bill swore. "She promised she would make the effort today."

Ginny gasped in shock. "What do you mean, Bill?"

Bill sighed, annoyed that his mother had broken her promise to him and his dad.

"Dad and I spoke to her last week," Bill explained. "We made it clear to her that your birthday was coming up. She felt bad enough when we reminded her that Harry's birthday had passed uncelebrated."

"I don't think it bothered him all that much to be honest," Ginny said offhandedly.

Bill gave her a sharp look, wondering why she, of all people, would know about Harry and his opinion over what had happened on his birthday.

Ginny sighed as she recognised her mistake. "He had Teddy and Andromeda over on his birthday and considering I am Teddy's godmother, he invited me to join them."

"Of course," Bill replied. "That makes sense. It's just easy to forget that you two have become such good friends."

Ginny managed to keep a straight face and not blush as she thought how she and Harry were so much more than good friends. No, Harry was her best friend and the love of her life.

"Anyway, what else did you say to Mum?" Ginny said, redirecting the conversation back to the original topic.

Bill sighed, wishing he didn't have to tell his sister. "We had to remind her it was your coming of age and well… it didn't go over too well."

Ginny could feel her temper begin to rise. She didn't need her eldest brother to tell her why her mother had reacted so badly. She was the baby of the family, too young to do anything in her mother's eyes. If it bothered her mum so much just how young she was, then where was she when she had been going out regularly and no one had even questioned to where she had been going? She hadn't even been there to stop her from going out most days, or to lecture her when she had been coming back at all hours of the night.

"What was the original plan for my birthday, then?" Ginny asked pushing aside her anger, determined to celebrate her coming of age. "Because I can bring my plans with my friends forward to today if there is nothing."

Bill thought for the moment. His mum had planned a dinner for tonight and that still had the potential to happen despite her not having appeared for breakfast.

"There is meant to be a dinner for you," Bill answered honestly. "It could still happen. I'll come over with Fleur at lunchtime and if anything changes, we'll let you know."

"Well, I was going to go and see some friends this afternoon, but I could go now," Ginny suggested.

"No, come to Shell Cottage," Bill said, already feeling bad enough that none of the family had been here to greet his sister on her birthday. "We'll have a late breakfast on the beach."

Ginny thought it sounded like a great idea. She was due to go to the Ministry for her Apparition test at lunch time and then she was going to Harry's for a few hours. She didn't really have anything else to do until then.

"Ok, then," she replied with a genuine smile. "Let me just go and grab a few things and then we can go."

Ginny quickly ran to her bedroom and grabbed what she needed, while praying that the day would get better.

 **HP &GW**

Harry was in the kitchen helping Kreacher to prepare lunch when he heard a pop from the hallway. He smiled, knowing who it was being that he and Ginny were the only two keyed into the Apparition wards.

"Congratulations," he said as he appeared in the entrance hall.

Ginny grinned and threw herself into his arms.

"Happy Birthday, baby," he said just before he kissed her deeply.

Pulling her into the kitchen, they settled down to eat lunch he and Kreacher had prepared.

"So did you have a good morning?" Harry asked, having missed what had become his regular wakeup call from his girlfriend.

Ginny's face dropped as she battled the tears that had begun to build up.

"What happened, baby?" Harry said as he noticed the expression on his girlfriend's face.

"No one was there to greet me this morning," Ginny replied sadly. She went onto explain how Bill had turned up and told her about his conversation with their mum before he invited her over to Shell Cottage for a late breakfast.

"What about the rest of the family?" Harry asked confused as to where they had been this morning and angry that no one had been there to greet his girlfriend.

"Dad and Percy had gone into work early," Ginny began to explain. "They seem to still be caught up with helping Kingsley."

"It's been a bit crazy, especially with the trials starting soon," Harry said in understanding. "I'm actually amazed Kingsley has not asked me to start sooner. Anyway, what about Ron?"

"At Hermione's again!"

"Really?" Harry responded in surprise. "I would have thought Hermione would have insisted they stay the night at The Burrow so they would be there for you in the morning."

"You would have thought so," Ginny sighed. "I had a good morning with Bill and Fleur, though, and hopefully there will be dinner and presents tonight."

Harry pulled his girlfriend into his arms and kissed her forehead gently. "You shouldn't need to hope, you should just know."

Ginny rested her head on his shoulder, smiling into his neck. "Yes, well, it's too late now for that. Anyway, I am here for a few hours and I don't want to spend it talking about how my family forgot about me."

"Oh, and exactly what do you plan on us doing?" Harry teased as he slowly rubbed his hand up and down one of her thighs.

Ginny lifted her head to reveal a teasing smile before she began to rise from the table. "Oh, I think you know!"

Harry just stared in wonder as Ginny disappeared from the kitchen before jumping onto his feet and chasing after her.

The moment they reached his bedroom they were pulling off each other's clothes as they kissed each other passionately. They quickly found themselves naked and in bed together as Harry took control and began slowly exploring and teasing Ginny's body with his hands, lips and tongue. He was determined to make her birthday the best day for her as he slowly worked his way down her body, though he desperately hoped he would be able to control himself from taking that final step with her until at least the following night as he had planned for.

Ginny relaxed into the bed as her boyfriend worshipped her body. She knew, no matter how much either of them wanted to, that today was not going to be the day they finally made love as Harry had already told her he was taking her away for a couple of days with a hint of them being together the way they had longed for being a part of the trip. Both wanted their first time together to be at a time where they could spend the whole night together, not just a few hours.

All coherent thought suddenly slipped from her mind as she felt Harry's face move between her thighs and begin to pleasure her with a mix of his fingers and his tongue. As the pleasure began to mount and overwhelm her, she thought to herself that it didn't matter what they got up to physically today just as long as he kept these incredible feelings shooting through her body.

 **HP &GW**

Ginny sat by her window in her bedroom looking over the moonlit garden. She sighed as she thought back over the events of the evening.

She had arrived back at The Burrow after a very pleasurable and satisfying afternoon with Harry. Despite them having not taken the final step in their physical relationship, she had been feeling good and happy as she arrived home. It had been hard to leave him, though, when he was still naked in bed, but she had just about managed to do so knowing that the next day it would be just the two of them for the next few days.

She had found both her mum and Fleur in the kitchen when she had entered the house. It had pleased her immensely to see her mum there cooking, even if it was not with her usual enthusiasm. Her mum had also apologised repeatedly for not having been there for her earlier that morning. Ginny had only waved off the apology, saying that she'd had a good day anyway.

Her birthday dinner had been… well, she wasn't quite sure how to describe it. It had not been the typical loud Weasley dinner that she was used to, which was understandable given the circumstances. But at the same time, it was not quiet or awkward.

George had appeared for dinner only, heading back to his room before cake and presents. Her mum had plastered a smile on her face, but you could still see the grief etched in her eyes. Everyone else appeared to be truly happy to be there and help celebrate her birthday. Ginny had just wished she could have been as openly affectionate with Harry as Ron and Hermione had been all evening.

Quite honestly, it had not been the birthday she'd been hoping for, but her family had tried their best and for that she was thankful. All she needed to do now was to tell her parents that she was going away for a couple of days. She just wasn't planning on telling them that she was going with Harry.

"Dad?" Ginny said as she entered the sitting room where her father was sat listening to the Wireless.

"Hello, honey," Arthur replied when he saw his only daughter stood nervously in front of him. "What can I do for you?"

Ginny took a seat in the chair closest to her father, grateful that her mother had already gone to bed.

"I just wanted to let you know that I am going away for a couple of days with some friends tomorrow," Ginny nervously informed her father. She was not sure why she was worried. It was not like he could do anything to stop her. She was of age now, but then again, being only sixteen had not stopped her from going out to be with Harry regularly these past couple of months.

Arthur looked at his daughter carefully. He was not sure why she appeared to be nervous. He certainly had no intention of stopping her from going when she was now considered an adult. He had not stopped her from going out regularly with her friends this summer, but he knew that this would be the first time she had stayed out overnight. He was honestly beginning to wonder if she was dating someone, but he realised that she would have been honest with him if she was.

"Ok, thank you for letting me know," he finally replied.

Ginny stared at her father in shock. She didn't think it would have been that easy. She had been ready to argue why she should be able to go away with her friends if it had come to that.

"You're seventeen now, Ginny," her father said in answer to her confusion. "I cannot stop you from doing as you please. However, I will probably not inform your mother until after you have left."

Ginny grinned. Her mother might not be doing all too well, but she still wouldn't like the idea of her youngest child going away, even if it was just for a couple of days.

"Thanks, Dad," she said as she hugged him, before returning to her bedroom to pack for her trip.

 **HP &GW**

Both Harry and Ginny managed to land on their feet as their Portkey deposited them in a Muggle free area of Gare du Nord. Ginny immediately recognised it from their previous visit a few weeks earlier. Her eyes beamed in happiness as she realised that Harry had brought her back to Paris to celebrate her birthday and to spend their first full night together.

Harry took her hand in his and led her out into the Muggle area of the station and towards the entrance of the Metro system.

"I thought we should travel by Muggle means while we are here," Harry whispered into Ginny's ear. "I figured we should have the full experience of Paris."

Harry had spent the last few weeks planning this trip. Both had enjoyed themselves the last time they were here, but they had only been able to do so much in the day they had spent here. He had researched hotels, public transport and restaurants, wanting Ginny to experience the best that Paris had to offer. No expense had been spared, especially now he knew the full extent of his inheritance from his parents and Sirius. Not that he planned to go mad with spending it, but he didn't see the harm on splashing out on special occasions and he felt Ginny's coming of age qualified.

They took a Metro train across the city to Alma-Marceau station, with Ginny gripping Harry's hand tightly when they changed lines at Strasbourg St Denis out of fear of getting separated from him in the crowds. Ginny did realise, though, that the Metro was Paris' version of the London Underground, it just had differently styled trains.

On reaching the hotel they were going to be staying at, Ginny couldn't help but gasp at the elegance and beauty of it. She blindly followed Harry to the reception desk so they could check in; all the while her eyes were darting around as she tried to take in every detail. Harry had gone all out for her birthday, so much more than he needed to or that she even felt she deserved.

"You deserve to be spoiled once in a while," Harry whispered as if he had been reading her thoughts.

"This is all too much, Harry," she replied as she turned to face him, tears beginning to swim in her eyes. "You didn't need to spend this much on me."

Harry silenced her protests with a gentle kiss to her lips. "In my eyes, you deserve so much more than I can give you. Please just indulge me this once. You won't regret it when you see the view from our room."

Ginny's heart melted at his words. She knew she could never deny him anything he asked. She loved him far too much to do so. "Ok."

She realised he was right as she opened the doors to the terrace of their room and stepped out to immediately spot the Eiffel Tower. He may have, in her opinion, gone all out for just a couple of days in Paris, but with this view, she didn't have it in her to complain.

Ginny jumped slightly as she felt a pair of arms slip around her waist and a pair of lips against her ear, the warm breath tickling her skin. "What do you think?"

She turned in Harry's arms, wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "I think you are mad to spend so much money on me like this, but the room is beautiful and the view is incredible. Thank you."

She pulled him into a slow and sensual kiss, pouring her love and thanks into it. For a few minutes, they lost themselves in the feel of their lips on each other.

"Time to get showered and dressed," Harry said as they came up for air, "We have dinner reservations at 7pm."

"Where for?" She enquired as they made their way back inside.

"You'll see soon enough," Harry replied refusing to give her clue.

 **HP &GW**

Ginny sat taking in the stunning views from their table in the restaurant that Harry had taken her to. She had been amazed to discover that the Eiffel Tower had restaurants located on two different floors. Harry had booked them a table for the one up on the second floor. The view of the beautifully lit city had only added to the romance of the night, with Harry being extremely attentive and affectionate with her the entire evening.

"Can we go and take in the views before we go back to the hotel?" she asked once her boyfriend had finished settling the bill.

Harry smiled at her with a knowing look on his face. "Of course, we can. I had planned for us to do so. No point coming up this high without getting some photos of us up here."

Harry led Ginny outside to the viewing platform. He stood behind her with her wrapped in his arms as they took in the view of the city and the Seine winding its way through it.

"Thank you for bringing me here," Ginny said as she turned in Harry's arms. "It has been the most perfect evening."

"You are so very welcome," Harry whispered just before he kissed her. They both felt the love and passion behind the kiss, both knowing that tonight their relationship would move forward once more.

"Photos now," Ginny said panting as they pulled apart. "Then back to the hotel."

They asked another couple visiting the tower to take a few photos of them enjoying the view and the couple they asked did so. They then quickly descended back onto street level and made the walk back to the hotel. Neither could keep their hands off the other, constantly stopping to give the other a breath-taking kiss.

The moment they made it back to their room, Harry grabbed the 'Do Not Disturb' sign and placed it on their door before closing it. He turned to find a trail of clothes leading to the bed, where he found Ginny laying there looking, in his opinion, absolutely stunning in her naked form. He quickly divested his own clothes, climbed onto the bed and over Ginny.

"Make love to me, Harry," was all it took for him to capture her lips in yet another passionate and breath-taking kiss.

Harry was determined to make this the best possible experience for the both of them. He slowly began to worship his girlfriend's body, kissing every freckle he found and teasing any body part he knew was sensitive to his touch. He loved the way Ginny's body would react; he loved the sounds she made and the expressions on her face. It would make his heart race and made him feel all the more confident that what he was doing to her was right.

"Harry, please," Ginny moaned. As much as she was enjoying the delicious sensations he was sending through her body, she desperately needed him. She wanted him to wrap her up in his arms and make love to her.

Harry crawled back up her body till he was comfortably between her legs and face to face with her. Even though he knew she wouldn't deny him, he still felt the need to make sure she was ready to take the final step. He searched her eyes, looking for reassurance and acceptance, which he found alongside a tremendous amount of trust and love.

"I love you, Harry," she said giving him the permission she felt he needed. "Make love to me."

"I love you too, Ginny," he replied as he finally took the final step and began to make love to her for the very first time.

A little while later, the two lovers were curled up around each other, slowly drifting off to sleep. It had been the perfect evening for the both of them, bringing them closer together than ever before after expressing their love for each other in the most intimate of acts. Neither had needed to say it, but both knew that they could or would never love anyone else in the way they loved each other.


	7. Limited Time

**A/N: Another chapter for you and only two more to go, which will both more than likely be posted tomorrow.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.**

* * *

Ginny packed the last of her school books in her trunk in preparation for returning to school for her final year the following day. In all honesty; she was not excited about going back to Hogwarts, she felt more apprehensive. She was unsure about whether returning to the place that held so many bad memories for her was such a good idea. However, she was determined to go back and see it through. She just hated the fact that she would be separated from Harry again.

Ginny sat down on her bed and pulled something out from underneath her pillow. She smiled as she looked at the photo in her hand. It was a shot from the night Harry had taken her to the Eiffel Tower for dinner. In the photo, they stood together looking out over the city, peaceful, relaxed and happy. While they knew how to develop photos so they moved, thanks to Kreacher, Ginny had loved this shot so much she had wanted a still copy of it. Unfortunately, due to her family being ignorant to her relationship with Harry, she had taken to hiding the photo or carrying it with her.

It did sadden her that she couldn't tell her mum of her amazing trip to Paris with Harry. Even though her mum was now spending less time cooped up in her bedroom, Ginny still felt she was unable to tell her about the relationship. And she did desperately want to tell her. Even in the aftermath of the war, she had somehow managed to have an amazing summer with Harry. Their relationship had moved forward physically and emotionally, despite their near year-long separation. She definitely thought the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder was most definitely true in their case. She knew it would be the same while she attended Hogwarts.

Checking the time and seeing it was nearly lunchtime, she quickly hid the photo again and tidied herself up. She quickly made her way downstairs and found her parents in the kitchen.

"I'm going out for the afternoon," Ginny said as she entered the room. "I'll be back by dinner."

"Are you packed for tomorrow?" Molly asked as she turned from where she was preparing sandwiches.

"Nearly," Ginny replied. "I have a few bits that can be packed tonight and in the morning."

Molly frowned. "Is it not pointless to meet your friends when you'll be seeing them tomorrow?"

"Not all of them are returning," Ginny said defensively. "I want to spend time with them before tomorrow."

Ginny could see her mother wanting to protest, but a look from her father silenced her.

"Go and see your friends," Arthur said. "Please just be back by six for dinner."

"Of course, Daddy," Ginny responded before she quickly made her goodbyes and ran out to the Apparition point.

 **HP &GW**

Harry signed his name on the letter he'd written to Ginny before folding it and attaching it to the present he had also arranged for her. He pushed it to the centre of the table as he accepted the cup of tea Kreacher had made for him. As he slowly sipped at it, his thoughts drifted to him and Ginny and their upcoming separation.

He hated the idea of being away from her for an extended period of time yet again. His only consolation was the fact that they would be able to communicate with each other this time and that he would be able to visit her on Hogsmeade weekends. It was going to be hard to be apart again, but he already had a plan to remedy them being apart ever again at the end of the school year.

He had every intention of proposing to her the moment she finished, whether or not her family knew about their relationship by then. Even though he had admitted he was in love with her when they had reunited after the final battle, every day they had spent together over the summer had reinforced just how much he was. She had been his rock these last four months and he knew she would be in the years to come. She was his everything, so it confused him just how the Weasleys had failed to see that.

"Harry?"

The sweet voice of his girlfriend stirred him from his thoughts.

"I am in here!" he called out from the kitchen before he turned to speak to Kreacher. "Can you close down the Floo please? I do not want any interruptions this afternoon unless I call for you or if it is an emergency."

"As you wish, Master Harry," Kreacher said as he bowed to Harry.

"Hey, sweetie," Ginny said as she entered the kitchen.

Harry did not respond with words, but instead immediately walked up to her and swept her into his arms and a passionate kiss. Hands began to roam as their tongues danced with one another and without breaking their kiss, Harry picked up Ginny, allowing her to wrap her legs around her waist, and he carried her out of the kitchen and towards the stairs.

"Harry? What about lunch?" Ginny said panting as they broke the kiss so Harry could see where he was going so he could climb the stairs.

"Bed now," Harry growled huskily. "Food and talking later."

Ginny couldn't help but grin as she realised that this was going to be an amazing afternoon with the love of her life.

 **HP &GW**

Around an hour later, the young couple lay curled up around each other sweaty, yet satisfied. Ginny lay with her head on Harry's chest as she listened to the comforting sound of his heartbeat, while Harry slowly ran a hand repeatedly through her long, silky hair. Both were enjoying the quiet in the aftermath of their lovemaking, neither wanting to face up to their upcoming separation.

"I'm going to miss this," Ginny whispered so quietly that Harry nearly missed what she had said.

"Me, too," Harry said as he shifted their bodies so they were laying on their sides, face to face. "But we will be in contact this time and I'll come and see you whenever I can."

"I know," Ginny replied with a sigh.

Harry reached out and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear before he began stroking her cheek with his finger. He could sense something was bothering her and that worried him. He knew it was going to be hard for them with her being back at school and him in Auror training, but he knew that was not the problem. They had discussed their options and had supported each other in their decisions. Whatever it was, therefore, must have been bad enough for it to be able to consume her thoughts.

"What's bothering you, baby?" he tentatively asked.

Ginny opened her eyes from where she had closed them at his relaxing touch, to reveal the worry that was deeply etched in them.

"My family," was all she said in reply.

Harry knew it was not the grief that was still consuming them that was the issue, but their ignorance of their relationship.

"Would you rather just tell them?" Harry asked knowing it wasn't what either of them wanted to do right now.

Ginny sighed as she turned to lie on her back and stare at the ceiling.

"No," she answered truthfully. "I like the lack of intrusion from them and the lack of attention we've had from the press."

"You're worried that if we are suddenly open about our relationship then everyone who doesn't already know will find out and we won't be left alone like we have been," Harry suggested knowing it was what his girlfriend was thinking and verbalising it for her.

"Is it selfish of me to want to keep this to ourselves for a little while longer?" Ginny mused. "It's not like it is a complete secret seeing as most of our friends know and they know without being told to keep it quiet."

Harry chuckled. "It isn't selfish, but I do appreciate not having your brothers breathing down my neck. Can you imagine how they would react if they knew the things what we get up to? Especially if they knew what we have gotten up to in this very bed this afternoon?"

Ginny laughed out loud, her worries lessening as a result. She rolled herself over and onto Harry, so she was stretched out along his body. Harry immediately spotted the look of mischief in her eyes.

"What's going through your head now?" he asked as he began running his hands up and down her bare back.

"A bet!" Ginny said gleefully. "Let's make a bet over who, out of the family, will figure out our relationship first!"

"Well, that's easy," Harry immediately responded. "It'll be Hermione!"

"No, it won't, it'll be my mother," Ginny protested. "I mean, I know she isn't in a good place right now, but I guarantee you, in a few months when I arrive home for Christmas, she will just know that I am in a relationship."

"If you say so," he cheekily responded earning him a smack on the shoulder. "Anyway, I think Hermione is already suspicious of us, or at least of me. She gave me a strange look when I told her I had been busy most of this summer. Just how are you going to hide our letters from her once you go back to school?"

Ginny was sneaky enough that she knew she could avoid any questions from Hermione if needs be and Harry knew that. She tapped a finger to her nose to indicate it was her secret as to how she would divert Hermione's attention to their letters.

"What are the terms of the bet then?" she asked changing the subject and wanting to get something good out of Harry if she won.

Harry could tell Ginny wanted something more than money if she won.

"A forfeit," he declared as she moved to straddle his body. "If I win, I choose what you'll do for me and if you win… "

"I choose what you'll do for me," Ginny finished off for Harry. "You've got yourself a bet, Potter!"

Instead of shaking her hand that Ginny held out to him, Harry grabbed her and rolled them over so he was now on top.

"No more talking," he said huskily. "I want to make love to you one more time before you go home."

"I love you," Ginny whispered as Harry bent his head to kiss her.

"I love you, too," he whispered back before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

Slowly, they began to explore each other with their hands and gentle caresses. Neither wanted to rush, neither wanted the moment to ever end. Even as their passion and desire for one another began to rise once again, they still took their time as they made love to one another for the final time before she returned to Hogwarts.

 **HP &GW**

Much later, Harry and Ginny stood together in the hallway of Grimmauld Place with their arms wrapped around each other.

"I'm going to miss you," Ginny whispered sadly into his chest where she was resting her head.

"I'm going to miss you, too," Harry replied as he tightened his grip on his girlfriend, wishing he didn't have to let her go.

Ginny lifted her head to look up at Harry. "Will you be there tomorrow?"

Harry sighed knowing full well what she meant. He wanted to go to the platform to say goodbye, but he knew he wouldn't be able to say it in the way he wanted to without everyone staring. On top of that, he was expected in the office for his first full day of Auror training, which he had begun part time a couple of weeks ago.

"I'm sorry, but I have to be at work at eight," he sadly confessed.

The tears that Ginny had been holding back finally broke through and began to stream down her face. She hated feeling like this, she hated being so emotional over them being separated yet again.

Harry gathered Ginny closer and ran a hand soothingly through her long hair. "It's ok, baby. It's not like last year, remember. We can write to each other this year."

Harry suddenly remembered the present he had left in the kitchen and quickly pulled away from Ginny, leaving her confused to his sudden movements. He returned barely a minute later and held out the present to her.

"This is for you," he stated as she took it from him. "Don't open it until you are on the train."

Ginny pocketed the present before looking back at Harry. "You didn't have to get me anything, but thank you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers into his hair and pulled him down into a heart-stopping kiss.

"I'd better go," Ginny said panting as they broke for air.

"Ok, then," Harry reluctantly agreed, before kissing her passionately one last time.

"I love you," she whispered tearfully as they pulled apart.

"I love you, too," he responded as she Apparated away.

 **HP &GW**

Harry leaned against the door frame to the changing rooms as he watched his girlfriend give the team talk to the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Her eyes were alight with enthusiasm and determination as she spoke and it was infectious, Harry could tell from the way the team were responding to her. He couldn't help but smile as they all cheered and clapped as she ended her speech.

"Great speech, Captain!" he called out as the cheers died down. Seven heads snapped round to look at him. "Much better than the ones I made when I was captain."

Ginny could only stare at her boyfriend with an unbelieving look on her face. While she knew he would be attending the match to support her and the team, she didn't think she would actually get to see him.

"Finish getting ready," she said to team, her eyes never leaving Harry's. "I'll be a couple of minutes at most."

Harry followed her into a side room and closed the door behind him. Ginny immediately launched herself at him and Harry caught her just as she firmly planted her lips on his.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said as she gasped for breath. "I'm so nervous. Professor McGonagall told me there are Quidditch Scouts in the stands today. She invited them to watch me. Me! Little Ginny Weasley!"

"You're rambling, baby," Harry said, effectively cutting her off as he pulled her back into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "You are going to be amazing. You'll get in the air, your nerves will melt away and you'll forget that the scouts are here. You know you will."

Ginny took a deep breath to calm her nerves and slowly let it out before she responded to her boyfriend's words of encouragement. "You're right. I can do this, which means I need to get out there and up into the air."

She went to open the door and looked back at Harry who had made to follow her. "I mean it, thank you for coming today."

The couple went their separate ways with Ginny heading back to the team and Harry to the stands. Despite being invited to sit with the teachers, Harry had, instead, decided to surprise his best friend and sit with and spend some time with her. He climbed the stairs to the Gryffindor stand and immediately spotted a head of bushy hair sitting at the front. Harry quickly made his way over and sat in the spare seat next to Hermione.

"Great weather conditions for the match, isn't it?" Harry causally said once he was seated.

Hermione quickly turned her head to see her best friend sat next to her.

"HARRY!" she squealed as she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Hey, Hermione," he replied with a chuckle as she released him from the death grip she had held on him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked still feeling a bit flustered at the unexpected appearance of her best friend.

"I thought I would come and support the Gryffindor team," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. "It's been a while since I've been to an actual Quidditch match."

Before she could respond, the teams were announced as they flew out onto the pitch, Harry's attention was now fully on the game that was about to start.

Hermione was happy to spend some time with Harry, she was surprised that it was at a Quidditch match. She could believe he was here to support the team, but she rather thought he was probably here to support Ginny. But as far as she was aware, they had not reunited as a couple after the final battle and while she knew they both valued their privacy, she was certain the family would have known by now if they were a couple once more. No, they couldn't be a couple, he was just being a supportive friend, she thought.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind for another day, she focused her eyes on the action taking place before her.

 **HP &GW**

Harry said goodbye to Hermione and headed back down to the changing rooms to see Ginny and congratulate her and the team on a great match and victory. He was impressed by not only the team she had put together and by how well they all played. He was also impressed by the strategy and plays Ginny had put together. In his mind there was no way that the scouts in the stand could ignore her, especially considering how she had led the team to victory by demolishing the Slytherins.

Harry had to wait for quite a while for his girlfriend to emerge from the changing rooms. He had congratulated the rest of the team as they exited and returned to the castle. He had even briefly spoken to Professor McGonagall, though he had declined her invitation to stay for dinner. Eventually the door opened and Harry was not surprised to see who he presumed to be the scouts and Gwenog Jones of the Holyhead Harpies walking out. He nodded courteously to all of them as they passed him.

"I've been given a trial for the Harpies!" Ginny squealed in excitement when she finally emerged.

"Congratulations, baby!" Harry said as he swept her into a hug and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

 **HP &GW**

Harry quickly ducked into The Three Broomsticks to escape the biting cold. He immediately felt the welcoming warmth of the inn as he looked round to see if Ginny had already arrived. As he had expected, he was early, but he did spot his two best friends in the corner, wrapped up in each other and one very heated snog. He couldn't help but smile at the sight, even though it was one he didn't really want to see.

"Ahem," he gently coughed as he reached their table. The couple broke apart and sheepishly looked at Harry who could only shake his head in amusement at their swollen lips and flushed faces. "Mind if I join you?"

"Can I join you, too?" a voice said from behind Harry. "Or does my brother not wish to see me?"

"Judging from his face, Ginny, I don't think he wants to see either of us right now," Harry responded with a chuckle as he noticed the irritable look on his best mate's face at being interrupted.

"What exactly are you doing here, Harry?" Ron asked as the couple sat down at the table. He couldn't understand why his best mate had come to a Hogsmeade weekend. As far as he knew, Harry didn't have a reason to be here. He was no longer dating Ginny and he knew that Ron, himself, would want time alone with Hermione.

"Ronald, that was rude," Hermione admonished as she smacked her boyfriend on the shoulder.

Ron glared at Hermione. "He needs to find himself a girlfriend, Hermione, so he can stop interrupting our time together!"

Both Harry and Ginny snorted at the statement, both knowing how wrong he was. Neither could believe that Ron could be so dense.

"You know what," Harry said as he stood back up, fed up with Ron's reaction. "I did have an actual reason for coming today and seeing as you wish I had not interrupted your date with my best friend, I will just get on with what I planned to do to begin with."

Harry turned to look at Ginny who gave him a look of understanding as she stood to join him.

"Harry actually came to meet up with me so we could go and pick up the presents we planned to get together for Teddy, our godson," Ginny told the older pair. "So, we'll just leave you to it."

Hermione watched as Ginny and Harry left The Three Broomsticks together, arm in arm. She was even more convinced that there was more going on between them than they had been letting on, but she only had circumstantial evidence that this was the case. Looking at Ron, she thought about telling him her suspicions, but she knew he would brush them off by telling her she was seeing things that weren't there. Thinking about it, perhaps she was just seeing things. Shaking the thoughts from her head, she turned her attention back to her boyfriend.

 **HP &GW**

The sounds of a crackling fire and a ticking clock were all that could be heard as Harry and Ginny lay cuddled up on the sofa in front of the fireplace. Despite the numerous invitations from work colleagues and school friends they had received to celebrate New Year's Eve with them, the couple had politely declined due to wanting to spend a quiet night in together alone.

"I still cannot believe that none of my family has figured out we're together," Ginny quietly said as she thought about how no one had questioned where she would be tonight.

"Does that mean I have won our bet?" Harry cheekily responded.

Ginny sat up with a look of mock anger on her face. "Has Hermione figured it out yet?"

"No, but I am absolutely certain she is suspicious," he replied as he pulled his girlfriend back down to where she had been laying. "But it's not like she had a chance over Christmas to figure it out as your family never gave us a chance to have a moment alone. The only time we came even close was when we were spending time with Teddy."

"That's true," Ginny sighed. "It's not like anyone even knows where I am tonight, let alone that I am spending it with you."

Christmas had been quite a solemn affair with the loss of Fred still deeply affecting the family. The only time the mood seem to lift was in the presence of Teddy, whose laughter and smiles were infectious to anyone he spent time with. Even George was not immune to Teddy's smiles. With the mood so sombre otherwise, New Year's Eve was never discussed, though Ginny quickly discovered all her brothers had plans, so following through on her plan to spend some alone time with Harry was not an issue.

"Do you think perhaps we should just give up waiting for them to figure out our relationship and just tell them?" Harry asked as he ran a hand through Ginny's hair.

Ginny did not immediately reply, something that Harry had expected so he stayed quiet while she gathered her thoughts.

"Yes… No… Maybe," she replied uncertainly. "I don't know."

"Tell me what you're thinking," Harry gently coaxed.

"I don't really know what I'm thinking," she began as she attempted to make sense of her thoughts. "I am still annoyed that they are so consumed by their grief that they cannot see that I have found something special to help me through mine. But I am so happy with you that it seems so easy to push it to one side for now and just not worry about it."

"So what do you want to do?" Harry asked knowing it needed to be Ginny's decision seeing as she knew her family best.

Ginny turned over and rested her head on her hand as she used her elbow to raise herself up so she could look at Harry.

"What I want is to make plans with you for our future, for what we plan to do after I leave school so that when we finally tell them the truth about us, they will be able to see and understand that we are serious about each other and our relationship."

"Oh, well, that is easy to figure out," Harry said with a goofy smile on his face as he rolled Ginny underneath him.

"Oh, it is, is it?" she replied laughing as she looped her arms around his neck.

Harry leant down and gently kissed her. "I want you here with me, living with me. I want to fall asleep next to you every night and wake up to see your beautiful face every morning."

"Are you…?" she began to ask if he was going to ask what she thought he was going to ask but she was in too much shock to even finish her sentence. It took Harry kissing her for her to regain her focus on him.

"Yes," Harry responded, understanding what she was trying to ask. "I want you to move in with me. It doesn't have to be the moment you leave school, but the sooner, the better in my opinion."

Ginny smiled widely before pulling Harry down and kissing him soundly.

"I'll take that as a yes then," Harry said breathlessly once they ended the kiss.

"Absolutely," Ginny replied with a smile that she knew would not be leaving her face any time soon. "But we won't be able to make any official plans until after my trial for the Harpies."

"Decisions which can wait for now," Harry said huskily. "Right now, it is getting close to midnight and I want to spend the last minutes of this year making love to you into next year."

"Now, that's a decision I can agree with," Ginny purred in pleasure as Harry began planting hot kisses down her neck.

Piece by piece, their clothes slowly came off them and they moved down onto the rug in front of the fireplace, where they proceeded to make love into the early hours of the New Year.

Later, as they lay snuggled up together under a blanket, sated from their love making, Harry allowed his thoughts to drift to the coming year.

Even with the pain and heartache of the past year, he really felt his life was becoming what he had always wanted it to be. Yes, he was still, at times, struggling with everything he had been through, but Ginny really did help him find and enjoy the good things in life. Therefore, he knew he wanted to make this a good year for them. By the end of the year, he hoped she would be living with him and that they would be engaged, perhaps even married. The very idea made him smile.

Harry felt Ginny shift closer to him in her sleep, causing him to wrap his arms tighter around her. Smiling, he allowed himself to relax into the embrace and as he drifted off to sleep, his last thought was that by the end of the year, their time together would not be as limited as it was now.


	8. Making a Vow

**A/N: Well, here is the first of the final two chapters and I think the title gives you a huge clue as to what is going to happen.**

 **Trearddur Bay is actually a small town located not to far from Holyhead, Wales.**

 **As for the vows in the chapter, you may recognise them if you have read my story, 'A New Normal', though there have been some additions.**

 **Thank you again to Arnel for her utter brilliance and spotting some much needed changes!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.**

* * *

Ginny couldn't stop smiling as she packed away her Quidditch gear. She'd just had a successful trial with her favourite Quidditch team, the Holyhead Harpies, and had been offered a spot as a reserve Chaser for the team. They had asked her to sign a basic contract and explained that her final contract would be dealt with at a later date. They had arranged a date to meet with her at Hogwarts and confirmed that all needed information about training would be owled to her. She just hoped she was able to have a few weeks off between finishing Hogwarts and beginning training.

"Great job this weekend, Weasley!"

Ginny turned to see the Harpies' captain, Gwenog Jones, standing at the entrance to the changing rooms.

"Thank you," Ginny beamed.

"You've got a visitor at the players' entrance," Gwenog said with a suggestive smile on her face. "And a very hot one at that!"

Ginny's smile, if it was even possible, spread even wider at the mention of the visitor, who she knew had to be Harry as only he and Professor McGonagall knew she was here attending trials. She grabbed her bag and broom and practically ran out of the changing rooms, but not before pausing by her new captain.

"Thank you for the opportunity," Ginny said sincerely.

"No worries. You deserve your place as you really are an amazing flyer," Gwenog told her with a warmth to her voice that would have surprised many people. "Anyway, go see your man as I think Potter is quite eager to see how you did."

Ginny's eyes flew wide open at the mention of Harry.

"Don't worry, Weasley," Gwenog said with a laugh. "Your relationship with him is safe with us. We actually value our players' privacy."

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief before saying goodbye and running out to see her boyfriend. She saw Harry's eyes light up with love and excitement when he saw her and she knew her eyes were the same. She threw her bag and broom aside as she ran into his embrace.

"I MADE THE TEAM!" she squealed in excitement as she pulled back slightly to tell him. Harry immediately kissed her and she allowed herself to sink back into his arms.

"That makes my plans for us even better, then," Harry said as they broke the kiss.

"Plans?" Ginny asked confused. "But I am expected back at school this evening."

"No, you're not," Harry told her with a knowing look. "It is the Easter holidays for a start, plus I spoke to Minerva and she gave you permission to come back to school once you have spent a couple of days with me."

"But why?" Ginny asked still feeling confused.

"To celebrate!" Harry cried sweeping her back into his arms. "Unless you don't want to spend time just you and me?"

Ginny broke into a smile. Of course she wanted to spend time with just Harry, knowing in the coming weeks that it would be close to impossible to do so with Teddy's birthday, the first anniversary of the final battle and her N.E.W.T exams coming up.

"Of course, I do," she finally replied as she softly kissed him. "You just caught me by surprise, that's all."

"Good," Harry said with a smile as he picked up her bag and broom. "I take it you have some spare clothes in there."

"Yes, all cleaned and washed while I was on the pitch today," Ginny replied. "So where are we going?"

"Not too far from here, actually," Harry said pulling her in close. "Hold on tight."

Ginny wrapped her arms around her boyfriend before she felt him Apparate them away from the training grounds.

 **HP &GW**

Harry and Ginny strolled, hand in hand, along the beach of Trearddur Bay. It was close to midnight as the moon and the stars shone brightly over the bay. It was, in Harry's opinion, the perfect place for a romantic stroll.

"Did they say whether you would need to live in Holyhead?" Harry asked. There had been little chance to talk when they had checked into the Muggle bed and breakfast a few hours earlier as they had chosen to reacquaint themselves with each other's bodies the moment they walked into their room.

"They didn't actually say," Ginny responded. "I only signed the basic contract which confirms that I have a place on the team and will not accept any offers should they be made to me. They are going to come and talk to me at Hogwarts about everything else. Why do you ask?"

"Because we said we wouldn't make any firm decisions until we knew if you had made the team," Harry replied to her question. "Though I was thinking if you wanted to be local to the team, we could find somewhere to live out here."

"You would do that for me?" Ginny asked genuinely surprised, though she knew from their previous talks that Grimmauld Place was not where they wanted to be living once they had started their family.

"Of course, I would. I would do anything for you," Harry said as he wrapped an arm around her pulling her in close to his body. "It's not like I can't Apparate or take the Floo to work. Plus, I feel like we could find somewhere here that would give us some privacy, more so than we currently have in London. Too many people know the general location of the house."

"What we would get? A house or a flat?" Ginny asked. "Because I think a flat would be fine for now. That way we can take more time finding a house we love, something that would be perfect for us to raise our family in."

Harry pressed a kiss to her head and smiled. The conversation was definitely going in the direction he had hoped it would.

"Sounds good to me, baby," Harry responded as he began to slow down their speed. "We can make some decisions about that tomorrow though."

He stopped them walking completely and turned to face his girlfriend. He cupped her face with his hands and leaned in to gently kiss her. Then to Ginny's absolute surprise, he bent down onto one knee and smiled up at her.

"This isn't what I had envisioned when I thought about our future," Harry slowly began. "I had hoped to ask your father for your hand, but I honestly cannot wait around any longer for your family to figure out that we are in a relationship or for them to fight their way out of the grief that consumes them. So…"

He paused as he pulled a simple diamond ring from his pocket and began to slip it onto her left ring finger.

"Will you marry me?" Harry simply asked as he pushed the ring fully onto her finger.

Ginny could feel the tears beginning to run down her face, but she knew that they were tears of joy. It didn't matter to her that he had not been able to ask her father or that her family had no idea about them. All that mattered in that moment was that this beautiful man was down on one knee in front of her asking her to marry him.

"Yes," she whispered through the tears. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Harry stood up, swept her into his arms and swung her round in absolute joy at her answer before putting her back down on her feet and kissing her with every ounce of love he felt for her. As he pulled back from the kiss, he wrapped her in a tight embrace and buried his face in her hair.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for loving me enough to marry me."

"I could never love anyone the way I love you," Ginny whispered fiercely as she held onto him even tighter. "Nor could I love anyone as much as I love you."

"Let's go and celebrate then," Harry said huskily, love and lust shining in his eyes as he grabbed her hand and began pulling her back along the beach towards the bed and breakfast.

 **HP &GW**

Despite their determination to now inform the family of their engagement, their relationship still remained a secret to the family. The events over the next few months seemed to stall them from being able to say anything at all.

Teddy's birthday passed with Harry and Andromeda determined not to let the absence of Remus and Tonks overshadow the day. However, with the smiles and giggles coming from the newly turned one-year-old, it was not so hard to do, especially when he squealed loudly with glee during his first broom ride that Harry gave him.

May Second came and went with no mention of their relationship. The very idea of telling the family didn't even crop up as Harry shut himself away in his bedroom at Grimmauld Place for the entire day as he wallowed in his own misery and grief. With him ignoring her calls on the magical mirror that he had given her before she had left for school in September, Ginny took it upon herself to check up on him and she ended up staying with him until the following morning. With the entire family struggling with the emotions of the day, no one had known she had chosen to go to Harry's rather than returning to The Burrow for the day.

After that, the chance never popped up for the couple to inform the family they were engaged as Ginny was knee deep in revision for her N.E. , while also having meetings with the Harpies to formally arrange her contract. Harry, on the other hand, was busy working and training as much as he could before he took an extended break in July to spend purely with Ginny.

Before the couple knew it, it was July and Ginny had officially finished school and had been given until September off before she joined the Harpies and began training.

A week after she had returned home for the final time from Hogwarts, Harry and Ginny were curled up together on the sofa at Grimmauld Place trying to make a decision on how and when they would finally inform the family about their engagement.

"Let's just put our plans into action before we tell them," Ginny pleaded when the subject came up.

"To move in together?" Harry asked, knowing they were planning to look for a place during her time off so she could get settled in before training began.

"I was actually thinking more along the lines of us getting married," Ginny suggested slowly, biting her lip nervously.

Harry's eyes widened at her words. He had planned to suggest the idea once they had found a flat, but here she was suggesting it now.

"I was hoping we could do it before you return to work so we had enough time for a honeymoon as well," Ginny continued hoping she wasn't being too forward in her suggestion.

Harry said nothing, much to Ginny's dismay.

"Let's get married on the fourteenth," he suddenly said. "That gives us a little over a week to find a flat, arrange a private ceremony and organise a short holiday for us. And it gives us enough time to have our honeymoon and be home in time for my birthday."

This time it was Ginny's turn for her eyes to widen in shock before she broke out into a smile in relief.

"Ok, let's do it," she squealed as she threw herself at him and kissed in soundly.

 **HP &GW**

Over the next week, with some discreet help from Kingsley, Neville and Luna, the couple were able to make their plans easily, unobtrusively and without anyone finding out.

Harry had met with Kingsley on the morning after they had set a date for their wedding and had asked him if he would perform the ceremony on the date they had chosen, while also asking if he could discreetly register the marriage for them. Kingsley had immediately agreed and had also offered to arrange Portkeys for them to use to take them to their chosen honeymoon destination.

Ginny had taken the chance to meet up with Neville and Luna, their closest friends to know about their relationship. Much to her delight, they were happy to be witnesses for the ceremony and had immediately offered their own services to help with anything that would need doing to be prepared in time for the wedding.

To keep any suspicions off them and their engagement, Ginny had arranged flat viewings for properties in and around Holyhead by herself, while Harry had arranged their hotel for their honeymoon. By the evening, all the details for the wedding and honeymoon had been decided upon and a flat had been found and bought.

 **HP &GW**

By the morning of the fourteenth, Harry and Ginny had moved into their flat in Holyhead. It hadn't been easy to keep the fact that they were moving in together a secret, but Ginny had managed to convince her mum to wait before she came to visit to give Ginny the chance to get the flat set up and to get settled in. It also helped that she had neglected to tell anyone where she was moving to for the time being.

They had bought a two-bedroom property on the edge of Holyhead, not too far from the Harpies' training grounds. In the space of a few days, they had managed to get the flat set up in the way they wanted, including turning their spare bedroom into a nursery for Teddy. Beside the two bedrooms, they had a kitchen, bathroom and living room. It was simple and basic and just what they needed while they began their careers and looked for an actual house. They had decided to keep Grimmauld Place so they had a place in London when they needed it, which meant they only moved Harry's personal belongings to the flat, leaving all the furniture and some furnishings at the house.

Even though they had only moved in the day before, they had been able to get Kingsley to arrange it so that their Portkey would leave and return there for their honeymoon.

"Ginny, are you ready?" Harry called as he walked out of their bedroom. He was dressed in beige slacks and a white long sleeved shirt with the sleeves slightly rolled up his arms.

"Nearly," Ginny called from the bathroom. A minute or so later, she appeared in the living room wearing a simple white knee length summer dress with her hair being worn in loose curls that cascaded down her back.

Harry stood there dumbstruck at the sight before him as he tried to get his brain to connect to his mouth. Instead, he found himself slowly walking over to her before softly kissing her which seemed to help him out of his stunned state.

"You look stunning," he whispered in awe.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she whispered back before pulling him into a heated kiss. But before either one of them could take it further, a knock came at their front door.

"You get the door, I'll grab my shoes," Ginny said as she got her body back under control. "There'll be plenty of time for more of that later."

"I know," Harry whispered huskily before softly kissing her and moving to answer the door.

"Hey, Neville, Luna," he said when he found their friends outside their door. "Come on in, we're nearly ready to go."

Harry shook hands with Neville and exchanged a hug with Luna as they entered. They had barely sat down on the sofas when Ginny came out of the bedroom.

"Neville! Luna!" she excitedly cried as she exchanged greetings with them. "Did you manage to arrange the flowers?"

"Of course," Neville said with a smile. "Luna has a wrist corsage as you asked for and here is your bouquet."

Out of a box that Harry had neglected to notice, Neville pulled a very simple bouquet of white calla lilies.

"Oh, it's perfect, Neville!" Ginny said in appreciation.

"I do like my corsage," Luna piped up. "It's a nice reminder of Harry's mother."

Harry and Ginny exchanged a knowing grin at the Ravenclaw's perceptiveness.

"So, where are we heading to?" Neville asked. "All you said was dress smartly for a beach wedding."

"We are planning on holding the ceremony on the beach where we got engaged," Harry answered. "It's a Muggle area, so Kingsley is going to place some wards. You are going to need to Apparate to Trearddur Bay. You should arrive at an Apparition point near by the beach itself."

"Well, let's go and get you two lovebirds married!" Neville said excitedly.

 **HP &GW**

It was a beautiful day with blue skies and calm seas. Kingsley had arrived early and set up a number of wards for privacy and to keep the Muggles away. He had chosen a quiet spot at one end of the beach which provided stunning views of the bay and the town.

"Are you ready to get started?" Kingsley asked, once they were all gathered within the wards and had removed their shoes so they could feel the sand beneath their feet.

With a nod from Harry, they all took their places as they had discussed the day before. Kingsley stood with his back to the sea, with Harry and Ginny facing each other in front of him and Neville and Luna stood facing the Minister and the about-to-be-wed couple. It was to be a short ceremony with a plan to go straight to the necessary parts rather than having any formal introductions.

"Harry, do you take Ginny to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, and honour and protect her and be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I will," Harry responded.

"Ginny, do you take Harry to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him and honour and protect him and be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I will," Ginny responded.

"Harry, if you would please repeat after me," Kingsley asked as Ginny and Harry grasped hands before Harry began repeating the vows.

"I, Harry James Potter, take you, Ginevra Molly Weasley, to be my wife and soul mate for all of my life and for all of eternity. I promise to love and support you through the good times and the bad and I promise to love and cherish you for all of my days. This, I promise you with all of my heart, all of my soul and all of my magic."

"Ginny, if you would please repeat after me," Kingsley said as he repeated the same vows for the bride.

"I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, take you, Harry James Potter, to be my husband and soul mate for all of my life and for all of eternity. I promise to love and support you through the good times and the bad and I promise to love and cherish you for all of my days. This, I promise you with all of my heart, all of my soul and all of my magic."

"If I may have the rings please," Kingsley asked. Neville, who Harry had given the rings to, placed the simple plain white gold rings they had chosen in the palm of the Minister.

"Harry, if you would please take your chosen ring and place it on Ginny's finger and repeat after me," Kingsley continued.

As Harry slipped the ring onto Ginny's finger, he spoke the words that Kingsley supplied, "Ginny, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment to you. You are my best friend, my soul mate and the one I love above all others and I promise to love you, trust you and respect you for ever more."

"Ginny, if you would please take your chosen ring and place it on Harry's finger and repeat after me."

Ginny copied Harry as she took the remaining ring and slipped it onto his finger and repeated the final vows, "Harry, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment to you. You are my best friend, my soul mate and the one I love above all others and I promise to love you, trust you and respect you for ever more."

"Then it is my greatest honour to now declare that you are bonded for life!"

Ginny and Harry smiled widely before they sealed their marriage vows with a passionate kiss, cheers from Neville and Luna and a shower of silver and gold stars from Kingsley's wand. They laughed as they separated, out of pure joy that they were finally married.

 **HP &GW**

Ginny burst out into laughter as Harry swung her into his arms, bridal style, and carried her over the threshold into their flat. As her new husband carried her through to the bedroom, having slammed shut the front door with his foot, Ginny began planting soft kisses up and down his neck.

"How long till our Portkey whisks us away?" Ginny asked as Harry carefully laid her down on their bed.

Harry checked his watch before he climbed onto the bed and up her body. "A couple of hours."

Ginny smirked as she threw her arms around her husband's neck and pulled him down so their lips were just an inch apart. "Well, let's put those couple of hours to good use then!"

"I believe you have a promise to fulfil," Harry whispered huskily before capturing his new wife's lips in a passionate kiss.

"I believe I do," Ginny replied as they pulled apart and began to pull each other's clothes off.

"Then, Mrs Potter, I believe less talking is needed," Harry responded as he eyed his wife hungrily.

With their final pieces of clothing removed, the newlyweds quickly began to explore each other's bodies before making good on their promise and using the next couple of hours to celebrate their marriage in the only way two lovers could.


	9. A Family Divided

**A/N: Well, here it is, the final chapter and what we have been building too.**

 **Thank you for all the positive reviews, favourites and follows.**

 **Thank you to Arnel for her amazing editing!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.**

* * *

Harry and Ginny landed with a thud as their Portkey deposited them in their living room. The couple were quick to drop their luggage so they could resume their honeymoon activities. Harry had barely begun devouring his wife's neck when their Floo flared to life and a head appeared.

"Harry!" Kingsley's voice called out, causing the couple to pull apart and turn towards the Floo.

"Kingsley?" Harry replied as they approached the fireplace and knelt down in front of it.

"I know you have just returned home, but I have something urgent I must speak to you about," the Minister said with a worried voice.

The newlyweds looked at each other in fear, wondering what had got Kingsley so concerned.

"Do you want to come over?" Ginny politely asked.

Kingsley nodded and within minutes, they were all sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea each in front of them. Kingsley rubbed his eyes wearily before he spoke.

"Your marriage is to be revealed tomorrow, via the Daily Prophet," Kingsley told the couple bluntly. "I can't be sure as to who discovered it, but I do believe the records were accessed earlier today. I received word that the article would be going to print tomorrow."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other and appeared to have a silent conversation. With a nod of agreement from the both of them, Ginny reached out and clasped the Minister's hand.

"Its fine, Kingsley," she told him with a warm smile.

It had been a subject they had discussed before they had even married. Yes, it would mean their hand had been forced in regards to informing the family sooner rather than later. However, the very fact it had not happened until after they had returned from their honeymoon was even better in their opinion.

Kingsley, on the other hand, seemed shocked by their response. He knew Harry hated the attention, especially the numerous newspaper articles with false information, so he had expected an explosion from them about his failing to keep it hidden as he had promised.

"Kingsley, it really is fine," Harry said in response to his confused expression. "The very fact that we have managed to keep our relationship private for as long as we have is a miracle in itself. To be honest, the news would have broken the first time Ginny flew out with the Harpies and had Potter on her robes instead of Weasley. Ginny and I talked about this happening and we were prepared for it. With the records being available to the public, it was bound to happen, no matter what you did, so we arranged with the Quibbler to run an article if this happened."

"Which means I better Floo call Luna and give her the go-ahead," Ginny said getting up from the table to do so. "And Harry, we really do need to buy an owl now."

Harry chuckled at the look of visible shock on Kingsley's face.

"I have to say I am amazed by how well you are handling this," Kingsley finally said. "Though I don't envy you having to tell Molly."

"And that is why we are so calm over the article," Harry admitted with a nervous laugh. "At least we know what to expect with the papers. Ginny's family is more of the problem as we haven't a clue how they'll react to the news, especially considering none of them has realised we are even in a relationship."

Kingsley shook his head in disbelief. "I still don't understand how they don't know."

"Well, it's not like we advertised the fact we are together," Ginny responded as she came back into the kitchen. "But we haven't hidden it either. Yes, we have been discreet and yes, I have at times misled my family as to where I am and to who I am with when I have actually been with Harry, but in our defence, that was mainly to maintain our privacy."

"It could go either way when the news breaks," Harry said, pulling Ginny into his lap. "Though if we get a Howler from Molly, then we'll know what we can expect when we see the family."

 **HP &GW**

 _HARRY POTTER, SAVIOUR OF THE WIZARDING WORLD, MARRIED!_

 _By M. Carneirus_

 _It has come to attention of the Daily Prophet that Harry Potter, the Saviour of the Wizarding World, 18, had married his childhood sweetheart, Ginevra Weasley, aged 17._

 _While not all the facts are currently known, it was during this newspaper's periodic check of the public records that their marriage was discovered._

 _It seems Mr Potter and Miss Weasley wed in a private ceremony in Wales on July 14th. The Minister of Magic himself, a known friend to the couple, performed the bonding. The ceremony was witnessed by Mr Neville Longbottom, 18, and Miss Luna Lovegood, 18._

 _The marriage has come as a surprise to the wizarding world as it appears it was not known that the pair was in a relationship beforehand. However, we, here at the Daily Prophet, would like to send our heartfelt congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Potter on their marriage and wish them a life full of love and happiness together._

 _We will bring our readers more details of the relationship and wedding as and when we discover them._

"Well, that could have been a whole lot worse," Harry said as he passed the paper to his wife. The couple were curled up in bed together enjoying a Sunday morning lie in.

"The only thing that intrigues me is how they knew we are childhood sweethearts, especially if they were unaware of our relationship to begin with," Ginny replied with a frown.

Before Harry could answer, a tapping at their bedroom window distracted them. Even from where they were sitting, they could see the red envelope that indicated a Howler had indeed been sent. Harry was just grateful they knew who it was from as the majority of his mail was still being sorted via the Ministry. He dreaded to think of the potential number of complaints he could have received all because he had made the decision to marry Ginny.

Neither said anything as Harry slipped out of bed and let the owl in. As soon as Ginny had removed the letter, the owl quickly swooped away as though it knew what was coming.

"Might as well get it over with," Harry plainly stated as he threw a Silencing Charm up around the room.

Ginny nervously opened the Howler and just seconds later, a loud angry voice filled the room.

"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY! HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVE GOTTEN MARRIED WITHOUT ME KNOWING? I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT YOU AND HARRY HAVE EVEN BEEN TOGETHER LONG ENOUGH TO CONSIDER GETTING MARRIED! I HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT THE PAIR OF YOU MAKE AN APPEARANCE TODAY FOR LUNCH SO YOU CAN EXPLAIN WHY YOU HAVE FELT THE NEED TO RUSH INTO SUCH A BIG DECISION AND WITHOUT US KNOWING!"

The Howler burst into flames as the voice disappeared before falling in ashes to the floor. Harry promptly Vanished the mess and climbed back into bed and pulled Ginny into his arms. The couple sat in silence as they processed Molly's words.

Ginny honestly wasn't surprised by her mother's reaction. While her mother had not figured it out and Ginny had not been upfront about it, she had tried to drop to hints that she was dating someone. However, with her mother not being receptive to her hints, it had just been easier to leave telling her until she was in a better place emotionally. But to suggest she and Harry had rushed into the marriage was more than enough to show her how ignorant her family had been of their relationship.

"All you have to do is remind them of how they have become so grief-stricken that they missed out on the world moving on without them," Harry quietly told her.

Ginny looked up in surprise at her husband's suggestion.

"It might seem blunt," Harry said with a shrug. "Hell, it might even be harsh, but it is the truth. If it hadn't been for you and Teddy, I probably would have been the same as your mum and George. In all honesty, me and you, we held each other up and moved forward together, even if it hasn't been easy at times."

Ginny placed one hand on the back of his head and pulled him down into a searing kiss.

"Thank you," she said as they ended the kiss. "You always know what to say."

"Not always," Harry said with a laugh.

"To me, you do," Ginny said with a genuine sincerity. "And that is what matters to me."

Harry smiled shyly at the compliment and softly kissed her in thanks. "Let's go and get this over with."

 **HP &GW**

The couple appeared, hand in hand, with a pop as they Apparated to the edge of The Burrow's property line. For a second, they stared at the ramshackle home as they took the chance to mentally prepare for the coming confrontation.

"We'll leave if they cannot accept our decision, even after we explain it to them," Harry stated calmly despite the raging nerves that filled him inside.

Ginny didn't respond as she knew that this confrontation would be about more than their elopement. The family as a whole was going to have to face the hard truth about their behaviour over the past year and she knew it would not end well for any of them.

The newlyweds slowly eased up the path only stopping once they reached the door. Giving each other a look of reassurance that they had each other's backs, they gripped their joined hands tighter. However, before either one of them could knock on the door, it swung open.

"Dad!" Ginny sighed in relief at it not being her mum who had opened the door.

For a moment, Arthur's facial expression gave nothing away to how he was feeling which made both Harry and Ginny extremely nervous.

"I'm on your side," Arthur told them with a smile.

It was enough of a reassurance for Ginny to pull her hand from Harry's so she could hug her father firmly in thanks.

"I'm not the only one either," Arthur continued as Ginny moved aside so the two men could shake hands. "But either way, there is a fair amount of confusion and anger."

"We expected as much," Harry admitted.

Arthur gave a nod in acknowledgement and then led the couple inside to where the rest of the family had gathered in the sitting room. He moved across the room to his normal chair and sat as Harry and Ginny remained just inside the door of the room and took in everyone's reaction to them being there.

Bill and Fleur were sat together, smiling at the younger couple. Charlie stood at the other end of the room, eyeing the couple with confusion. Percy sat nearby with a woman neither of them recognised. Whoever she was, it was clear that she felt uncomfortable with the situation, whereas Percy seemed to be wearing a look of utter contempt for the newlyweds. George, to their upmost surprise, sat on the floor near the fireplace with a mischievous look in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.

However, it was the look upon the faces of Harry's two best friends that upset him the most. Ron's face had grown red with anger, whereas Hermione's just appeared to be disappointed. If anyone was to be on their side and actually happy for them, Harry had hoped it would the two of them, but he could tell that it just wasn't to be.

"Oh, good," Molly spoke as she walked into the room and saw Harry and Ginny. "You're here. We'll talk first and then we can eat."

Everyone stared at the couple as though they were waiting for something.

"I'll take it you want us to begin the discussion, then," Ginny said with a hint of anger in her voice. Neither Harry, nor Ginny had yet to move away from the spot they occupied and Harry knew Ginny was beginning to feel unwelcome in her childhood home. He quickly conjured a couple of chairs and led his wife into one.

"Of course, you can begin," Molly said angrily in response. "You can explain how it is that the two of you are all of sudden married when no one had any reason to believe you were in a relationship to begin with."

"And why do you think that was the case?" Ginny snapped. "Because if anyone had actually opened their eyes for even a second and looked properly, you would have seen that we were in a relationship. We never hid it from you, but out of respect for all of you, we never flaunted it in your faces either."

The entire family seemed taken aback by Ginny's harsh words, but no one could deny that they had been blind to what had been happening right in front of them.

"Just how long have the two of you been together?" her father calmly asked as he recognised the hidden sadness within Ginny's anger.

Ginny looked to Harry, her eyes pleading with him to answer on their behalf while she battle to push her anger away. Harry squeezed her hand in understanding, knowing his wife had wanted to have a calm and civil conversation about their marriage and not a shouting match.

"A little over two years, Mr Weasley," Harry answered to the shock of the family.

"THAT'S A LIE!" Ron roared in disgust as he stood from where he had been sitting. "That is a complete lie and you both know it. You dumped her! You broke her heart! You promised me you would stay away from her! The entire time we were on the run, you never once acted like you cared about her. You didn't even pay attention to her in the aftermath of the battle."

Ginny couldn't help but burst into laughter at her brother's ignorance. Harry just shook his head in amusement at just how blind his best friend was when it came to his feelings for his sister.

"Why are you laughing at me?" Ron spat angrily as the tip of his ears grew red at an alarming rate. "You both know I am telling the truth."

"Your sister is laughing because it could not be much further from the truth if you tried," Harry snapped. "I didn't dump her as you so bluntly put it. I pushed her away for her own safety. Yes, it broke her heart, but you know what, it broke mine too. It hurt me enough that I couldn't bear to talk about her to either you or Hermione purely out of fear that we would be overheard or that I would do something stupid like going back for her. I ended up watching her on my map regularly, because it was the only thing most days that would keep me remotely sane."

Harry paused to calm himself down. The room remained quiet as he regained control of his emotions, though the occupants were very much confused about what was just said.

"Ginny and I reunited just before I went upstairs to speak to Kingsley and then head to bed. Every spare minute we have had over this past year has been spent together when possible. We just didn't want to wait any longer before getting married when we made the decision to do so."

Arthur rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses as he desperately hoped they could get through this with no more shouting.

"Why get married without telling us, then?" Molly demanded in anger at being denied the chance of helping her only daughter plan her wedding.

"Because we have been too consumed by our grief for Fred to even care about what was happening with Ginny, Mum," George said in defence of the newlyweds to everyone's surprise. He stood up and approached the couple with a genuine smile on his face. "Congratulations, guys. I am truly happy for you. Fred would have been, too."

He hugged both of them individually, receiving whispered thanks, before he left by Floo to his shop. He knew now was the time to truly pull himself out of his grief, rather than continue drifting along as he had been. George's easy acceptance of the marriage spurred Bill and Fleur to congratulate the couple, before they chose to return to Shell Cottage, instead of remaining for lunch.

"Would you please tell us about your relationship?" Arthur asked when he saw no one else planned to leave or even say anything. "It may help us understand your decisions better."

Molly glared at her husband with a look that screamed, 'I don't want to understand'. She felt that Harry and Ginny were too young to have married so quickly, as in her eyes, it was impossible that they had been together for as long as they claimed to have been.

Ginny, seeing her mother was not interested in hearing what they had to say, stood and Banished the chair in which she had been sitting, before turning to her mother.

"It is obvious to me that you don't want to hear us out, Mum," she said through gritted teeth in an attempt to control her anger. "And it is blindingly obvious that you will not choose to be happy for us, even if we do fully explain everything to you. Until you are prepared to listen, and I mean truly listen to us, then I refuse to remain in this house."

She turned on her heel and stormed out of The Burrow.

Harry made to follow his wife as he Banished his own chair and moved to leave. However, he stopped and turned round, desperate for the Weasleys to understand just how much Ginny meant to him.

"We may have made the wrong decision in not being honest with you about our relationship," Harry said in defence of their marriage. "But we both want the privacy and the time to just be together without interference from anyone. The problem is not one of you noticed what Ginny was doing, where she was going or even how she was feeling in the months immediately after the final battle. The number of times she has spent at my house or out in the Muggle world with me has been more than she has actually spent here."

Harry paused as he could feel himself beginning to get angry with the people who were supposed to be his family. He wanted to do this calmly as he knew getting angry would not solve anything.

"She was the one who got me through the aftermath and in return, I helped her. We know you were all grieving over the loss of Fred, but so were we! But just being together made the days bearable and the idea of moving on became more acceptable as a result. The amount of times, though, that I had to calm her down after someone in this family ignored or forgot about her was far too many for my liking. In the same way you all had someone to turn to or something to immerse yourself in, she turned to me. But she hated that you were all so consumed by your own grief that she went forgotten about most days."

Harry stopped once more as Ron stormed angrily from the room. Hermione, flashing Harry an apologetic look, followed her boyfriend.

"The only reason we delayed time and time again," Harry continued as he pushed aside the hurt he felt from his best friends walking out, "was because this was the reaction she feared most and she felt that if she could prove to you just how serious we were, then, you would more than likely accept it with no issues. The longer we left it, the stronger the need for us to marry became and in the end, as I said earlier, we just couldn't wait any longer. No matter what you think about our marriage, you need to remember that she is seventeen, fast approaching eighteen and she is of age. She is no longer a child and quite honestly, she hasn't been a child since she was eleven. And remember, neither am I a child. I fought a bloody way just to be with her. I walked to what I thought would be my own death just so she could live in a peaceful world. Now that my life is my own, no one will tell me what I can and cannot do. And no one should ever insult my wife in front of me or hurt her feelings!"

Harry stormed out of The Burrow as he left behind a bewildered family. It wasn't long, however, until both Percy, along with his girlfriend, Audrey, and Charlie left the house as well.

Arthur sighed in defeat before standing to head to his shed.

"You've pushed them away, Molly," he told her firmly, not allowing room for argument from her. "Their reasons were understandable, even George was able to see that. They found a way to climb their way out of the grief that has consumed this family for far too long just by being with each other. Don't you think it's time for you to find your own way out of it as well, Molly?"

He walked across the room, only to pause at the door to speak one more time.

"You know what the worse thing is about whole mess? It is the very fact that everyone who knows Harry and Ginny personally knew they were in a relationship this entire time. According to Kingsley, who I spoke to this morning, everyone, Molly, everyone but this family knew."

He left the house, leaving his wife to wonder what she had done.

 **HP &GW**

The weeks passed swiftly by with only a strained relationship between the Weasleys and the Potters to show as a result of the conversation. Harry had returned to work following his birthday celebrations, which had been spent with their friends, Bill, Fleur, George, Andromeda and Teddy. Ginny had begun training with the Harpies, channelling her anger from her family's reaction into her flying. Her birthday, however, was spent with just Harry as she felt too exhausted from training to even care about going out to celebrate it.

The news of their marriage had truly had an effect on George in the most positive way possible. He had channelled his energy back into running the shop and creating new products, something he had neglected to do over the past year. He had also reconnected with Angelina, whom he had pushed away due to his grief, and it was not long before the pair had begun dating.

Charlie had returned to Romania not long after the disastrous conversation. The solitude he was afforded at the Dragon Sanctuary gave him time to think about his sister and her marriage to Harry. He realised that, at times, he still saw her as the ten-year-old she had been when he had moved out of the country. With such minimal visits over the last few years, he had neglected to see she had grown up and had now found the one person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The very fact it was the boy who had saved her from certain death in the Chamber and then vanquished the Dark Lord for good made him realise that she could not find a better man to settle down with if she tried.

Percy found his realisation that he was wrong in his opinion about Harry and Ginny through a very stern telling-off from his girlfriend, Audrey. She made him see that he was still holding on to old grudges, ones he knew now to be ridiculous. It was through his own choice that he had stayed away and missed what were three of the toughest years for his sister and then when he made the decision to come back and reunite with his family, he had spent more time with George and his parents than he had with his other siblings. On top of that, he understood what Harry said about having someone turn to was true as he had turned to Audrey in the aftermath of the war and the loss of his brother, something he had felt guilty for, despite knowing it was not and never would be his fault.

Hermione spent the month after the argument doing what she had done back in fourth year, trying to make Ron see his reaction was a mistake. Having started work at the Ministry, working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, she could see the strain and tension between Harry and Ron as they continued their training and work within the Auror Department. She also knew that Ron would have to be the one who made the first move and apologise for his actions. It took a lot of talking, arguments and even a threat of leaving him for Ron to come around and realise that his best mate and sister were happy and in love.

Arthur stayed in contact with the Potters over the next month or so, keeping them informed of the family and the eventual understanding and acceptance of the couple's marriage. He was truly happy for them and while he hated that he had missed out on giving away his only daughter, he could understand their reasons for keeping the relationship to themselves, especially considering they had managed to keep the press out of the relationship until after their honeymoon. He was also in agreement with the Potters that the family needed to approach them first and apologise as only then would they would speak to them about their relationship. Arthur had managed to get them to agree to a party to celebrate once the family had reunited properly.

 **HP &GW**

Harry climbed the final few steps into the box that had been granted for the use of himself, the Weasleys and a few of their friends. He smiled as he reached the top and looked out over the stadium. While this was not the first match he had attended since Ginny started training with the Harpies, this would be the first match in which she had played. One of the main Chasers had taken a nasty hit to the head with a Bludger during practice just a couple of days earlier and even though, she was the newest reserve, Gwenog felt she was the best player to replace the injured Chaser. The result of Ginny starting the match today and them being given the box had been last minute invitations being sent to all those Ginny had wanted to come and watch her as she played her first full professional Quidditch match.

However, it would be the first time the family had been altogether since the day he and Ginny had gone to The Burrow to explain to them about their marriage. They had spent time with George, Bill and Fleur since then due to their quick acceptance of the change in their relationship status. They had also kept in contact with Arthur, who had promised to make sure Molly was on her best behaviour today if she chose not to apologise on seeing Harry. Letters had also been received from Charlie and Percy, both apologising for not understanding that Ginny was no longer a child and had been through more than enough to know what she wanted.

The only person Harry was truly concerned about was Ron. The tension between them at work had been unbearable to the point that they had been unable to work together on smaller investigations they had been given. Hermione had yet to contact him in any manner, though he suspected she had always accepted the marriage, but was, instead, more upset by having not been invited to her best friend's wedding. He could only hope that the couple would show up today to support Ginny and be civil if they chose not to apologise.

"Harry!" a voice called, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Harry turned to see Andromeda entering the family box, along with Teddy, who she was carrying, and Bill and Fleur. He quickly greeted them and scooped Teddy out of his grandmother's arms.

Slowly but surely, the box began to fill with those who were closest to him and Ginny. Neville, Luna, George and Angelina, Percy and Audrey, Charlie and even Professor McGonagall, who was delighted to be there to support one of her Lions, and the Minister of Magic himself.

It was with fifteen minutes to go that the four final invitees showed up. The tension amongst the group suddenly increased as they all saw Arthur, Molly, Ron and Hermione enter the family box. Harry, knowing he wanted this dealt with before the match, handed his godson back to Andromeda and headed over to the four newcomers.

"Arthur," Harry greeted his father-in-law with a handshake.

"Harry," he responded with a smile of delight at seeing his son-in-law.

"Harry, I'm so very sorry," Molly said as Harry turned to her. "I should never have been so unaccepting of your decision to marry."

Harry sighed at hearing the words he knew his wife would appreciate hearing. "It hurt us to have you respond in that way, but it is Ginny, more than anyone, who you need to apologise to. Out of everyone, it was you who hurt her the most. She hated not being able to share our relationship with you, not having you there to organise the wedding and be the proud mother of the bride. She did try so hard to tell you by dropping hints in hopes that you would ask. She was actually convinced that you would just know that she was in a relationship by Christmas, but you let her down. You were caught up in your grief for Fred and it meant she was unable to share with you the one thing she had found to make her happy."

The look of regret on Molly's face made Harry see that she truly understood what she had done to her daughter.

"I am very happy you two have found each other," she told him with absolute sincerity. "I always hoped you would become a couple. I couldn't be more proud to have you as my son-in-law."

Harry smiled before initiating a hug with his mother-in-law and whispering in her ear, "Thank you."

Harry pulled away and turned to his best friends as his in-laws went to greet the rest of their family and friends. He watched in amusement as Hermione nudged Ron forward to speak.

"Harry, look…I'm sorry for behaving the way I did," Ron said nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It seems I misunderstood why you broke up with Ginny at the end of our sixth year."

"Don't you mean Hermione made you understand why I did what I did?" Harry replied with a knowing look on his face.

"Well, yeah," Ron sheepishly admitted, before leaning in to whisper to his best mate, "She threatened to leave me."

"That would do it, then," Harry said as he winked at Hermione.

The tension within the box dissipated as Ron finally congratulated his best mate on marrying his sister and Harry apologised to his best friends for not informing them or inviting them to his wedding.

Just as the three friends took their seats, the commentator announced the teams. As Ginny's name was announced, the entire family rose to their feet in support and cheered as the newest Potter took to the skies. Ginny turned her head in the direction of the noise and saw her entire family standing together the way she had wanted them to stand in support for her just a couple of months previously. With a broad smile, she turned her broom in the direction of the stands and flew past the family with a quick wave, happy to see them reunited.


End file.
